


Anywhere You Go

by TheMightyPookums



Category: South Park
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, High School, Hurt, Love, M/M, Past, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-07-12 23:03:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 48,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16005131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightyPookums/pseuds/TheMightyPookums
Summary: It's the last year of high school and there's a new kid in South Park. He's a bit odd, a bit mysterious, and he's instantly caught Kyle's attention. The past was not easy on either one of these two, but maybe the future could be different? Kyle's first true romance can either end one of two ways: happily ever after or tormenting heartbreak.





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-edited version of Anywhere You Go (the fanfic I made once upon a time that I actually love).
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to any of the South Park characters, but Aaron is totally my creation so fight me about that.
> 
> If you haven't already read the story, please enjoy! And if you have already read it, enjoy the edited version with a lot longer chapters and more sappiness.

The burnt colour of sunlight streamed through the bedroom to create multicolours of orange, red, and yellow across the blue walls.  The room hadn’t changed much over the years.  There were still the Terrance & Philip posters with a few other random ones scattered over the twin-sized bed and computer desk.  Kyle sighed inwardly as he stood in front of the full length mirror to assess everything from head to toe.

He had been cursed with his short height from his mother but had managed to pack on some muscle with his diligent workout regiments on a semi-daily basis to keep himself in shape for basketball.  The further he let his gaze travel up the strong muscles of his torso, the more he started to feel good about himself.  His face was thin with sharp, distinctive features with his freckles still splayed across his nose and cheeks.  The biggest change in the last eight years was his hair.  What was once a mess of bright red curls had become darker, like a burnt auburn colour.  His curls were still distinctive but his new undercut style made it look more stylish than disheveled.

“Kyle!” Sheila Broflovski yelled from the bottom of the stairs of the two-story house.  Her voice was loud like a jet engine piercing through the house.  It was amazing how the woman could be heard from the basement sometimes while he was on the second floor in his room. “Bubbie, Stan is here!”

Kyle rolled his emerald eyes dramatically.  He hated that nickname.  Years later and he still couldn’t get rid of it.  He was not longer a child and he made it painfully known to his mother, but she was stubborn.  No matter how many times he told her to stop, she’d still pinch his cheek and repeat the nickname with her wide smile.

“Kyle!” Sheila screamed.  The sound was like nails on a chalkboard sometimes.

Kyle flinched from the heavy shiver that coursed through his spine. “Coming ma!” he yelled back equally s loud.  Like mother, like son.

He took one last look at himself in the full-length mirror.  His collared shirt and dark jeans were enough.  Even though it was the middle of summer, the air hadn’t warmed up over 71°F.  He quickly raced down the stairs to the main level where his mother stood, her hands placed firmly on her wide hips as Stan stood by the door.  His hands were shoved into the pockets of his sweater that hid the muscles underneath he had gained from years of football and baseball.  He didn’t bother hiding his calves with his grey cargo shorts that were slightly baggy and yet surprisingly fitting for him.

“Dude, take any more time?” Stan said bitterly, his dark eyebrow that matched the colour of his raven coloured hair lifted playfully.  Stan had lost his blue puffball toque to let his black hair rest messily on his head.  He would wear a similar blue hat at times in the winter time, bringing a sense of nostalgia back to Kyle whenever he saw his best friend wear it, but for the most part he let his soft locks free.

“Shut up,” Kyle replied with a smile as he reached the bottom of the stairs.  Sheila was instantly on him to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt. “Ma,” Kyle said with a heavy sigh but the woman didn’t look up from her simple task of caring for her son. “Ma!” he shouted a little louder.  The woman’s hands ceased as she looked up with wide eyes. “Stop.”

“Oh!  Sorry Bubbie,” she said with a wide grin and reached up to pinch Kyle’s cheek.  He groaned in frustration as he pulled away.  The shorter woman hummed happily to herself and quickly spun around to shuffle off towards the kitchen.

“Mama’s boy,” Stan muttered quietly from being perched against the door.  Kyle promptly lifted his hand to flip off his childhood friend who merely laughed off the gesture.  Kyle quickly slipped on his worn out sneakers with part of the stitching ripped along the outside of his left foot.  When he was finished, he stood and faced his friend with a wide grin.  Stan’s expression was twisted up in judgement that made Kyle roll his eyes. “You ready to go now, Princess?” Stan joked.

Kyle punched his friend’s shoulder as hard as he could but he knew it did nothing against the muscles under his friend’s sweater and skin. “Kyle,” Sheila spoke up from the doorway to the kitchen as she held onto a drying towel. “Make sure you’re back by midnight, young man.”

“Mom,” Kyle groaned loudly, his head tilted back as his eyes closed and his face pinched with frustration.

“Don’t whine at me, Kyle Broflovski,” Sheila replied in a threatening tone.  Kyle tilted his head back forward, keeping his back facing his mother as he rolled his eyes.  He knew she’d have his ass red if she saw it. “Midnight.  No later.”

“Mom, we’ve been over this.  I’m not a kid anymore, come on,” Kyle explained as he turned to face his mother.  She looked determined but Kyle was right there with her.  She was still babying him and he hated it.  He was eighteen and frustrated that he had earned so little trust from his mother that even his little brother had more freedom than he did.

Sheila huffed loudly. “You may not be, but you are still under my roof.  While you are under my roof, you live by my rules,” she explained harshly as she pointed a chubby finger at her son.

Stan’s hand clamped down on Kyle’s shoulder before he could speak.  He hated how Stan always knew when he was about to unleash the frustration and anger boiling up inside him while simultaneously thanking him for always being there to stop him from doing something stupid.  Stan knew the argument could and would go on for hours if he let it.  The mother and son were both equally stubborn. “Don’t worry, Sheila, I’ll have him back by midnight.  I have to be back home by then anyways,” he explained.

The hand on Kyle’s shoulder squeezed harshly. _“What a liar,”_ Kyle thought to himself as he listened to the quiet smugness in his friend’s tone.

“See Kyle?  I’m not the only mother looking out for her son’s wellbeing,” Sheila said, her hands on her wide hips. “One day when you are a parent, you’ll understand what you have to go through to protect your children.”

Kyle groaned as he turned.  The thought alone was laughable and Stan knew exactly why.  It was the same reason he had never had a girlfriend and the reason why he was always so tense around his parents when the topic of marriage and kids made him tense.  The two boys left the house after saying goodbye to the red haired woman to start down the familiar South Park street lined with bungalows, townhouses, and a few two-story detached houses.

“She’s so overprotective!” Kyle suddenly shouted as his hand lifted to rub harshly across his scalp through his soft hair. “Gah, I can’t deal with it anymore!” he added in a harsh snap as he kicked at a small stone with the toe of his shoe.

“Dude, she just cares about you.  Be happy she’s not like Butters’ parents,” Stan explained, his hands still shoved into the pockets of his sweater.  If there was anyone who knew the relationship between Kyle and his mother the best, it was Stan.

Kyle groaned and then exhaled loudly. “Yeah, okay.  You have a point,” he replied in a low mumble having gave up against his friend’s blind optimism.  He hated when Stan became the smart, logical one.

An arm snaked around Kyle’s shoulders, snapping him from his deep thoughts and he was almost thrown off balance as his friend pulled him closer to him. “Let’s just try to have some fun tonight.  It’s the last party before the last year of our high school career.  After this year, everything changes,” the raven-haired boy explained, the optimism back thickly in his voice.

_Oh, how right he was._

“Hey, look,” Stan said as he elbowed Kyle from his thoughts.  They had been walking in peaceful silence for a few blocks, something Kyle loved about his long-time friendship with the Marsh boy.  Kyle stopped along with Stan to turn and looked across the street where the taller boy was pointing.  A large moving truck was parked in the driveway of a bungalow with a For Sale sign out front that had been covered with a SOLD sticker. “New neighbours.”

Kyle never knew the people who lived in the bungalow at first.  He remembered when they moved out.  It was an older couple who were moving to a retirement home.  That was all his mother knew and told him.  He let his eyes scan quickly over the lightly beige house with a large front porch and then his focus was stuck on the black muscle car parked next to the curb.  It was unlike anything he had ever seen in South Park.  The town was full of mom SUVs and four-door sedans.  The black car with white stripes along the hood and roof and wide rims stuck out like a sore thumb.

“What do you think?” Stan asked to break Kyle from his blatant staring. “Crazy?  Lame?  Serial killers?” he rhymed off as he shoved his hands back into the large pockets of his sweater.

“All of the above?” Kyle added with an amused grin.

Stan chuckled and continued down the street towards Stark’s pond.  Kyle moved to follow but stopped for a moment when he saw someone hop from the back of the large moving truck with its nose facing the street.  Their head was hidden behind the box they carried but Kyle’s attention was caught by the two very distinctively coloured yawn bracelets worn on their wrist.  They were handmade like something an elementary school student would make.

“Kyle, let’s go!  We’re gonna be late for the party,” Stan called back over his shoulder.

Kyle quickly chased after his friend without another hesitation.  It was dark by the time the two boys reached Stark’s pond.  Kyle could hear the loud, pulsating dance music from through the trees before the came to the clearing where Kenny’s truck was parked next to Token’s SUV he borrowed from his parents.  The backs were opened wide towards the sandy shore of the lake where a large bonfire lit up the area crowded full of students from Kyle and Stan’s grade.  Stan moved past the back of Kenny’s truck with Kyle behind him who stopped when he was suddenly grabbed by the shoulder.  He let out a sharp yelp but the familiar scent of menthol cigarettes and booze quickly relaxed him.

“Kyle!” Kenny yelled drunkenly.

“Hi Kenny,” Kyle replied with a small uneven smile.  It didn’t surprise him that alcohol was present even though Stan promised him there wouldn’t.  With the class going into their final year of high school before they’d all split off across the country for school or work, an all or nothing party was pretty standard.  No doubt the back of Kenny’s truck was full of whatever alcohol you could think of.  How he got it?  No one would ever dare ask.

Kenny grinned and hummed as he leaned over the side of his truck from inside the flatbed.  The hood of his orange sweater fell off his head to reveal his messy, long dirty blonde hair.  Kyle ruffled it with a small laugh that made Kenny giggle happily.  He was leaning dangerously far out of the truck but Kyle kept a firm grip on him to keep him from falling out onto the hard ground.

“Are you two done over there?” Stan asked with a flat tone over the loud music.

“Stanley!” a shrill voice sang over the loud music.

Kenny gagged loudly and overly dramatically to voice his utter distain for who was behind the shrill voice.  Stan ignored the obvious noise that Kenny didn’t bother to keep quiet as his face brightened at the sound of the voice.  He quickly spun around just as the brunette flung herself into his arms.  Their lips crashed against each other, literally, and Kyle rolled his eyes.  Wendy was drunk.  She carried a red solo cup that she almost spilled over when her arms flung around her boyfriend’s neck.  Kyle took a quick step back out of the splash zone.  Kenny almost fell out of his truck without being held up by Kyle anymore but was surprisingly quick to catch himself.  He must not have been as far gone as Kyle thought.

“Wow, okay, you are drunk,” Stan said with a small chuckle when he finally managed to get away from the hungry lips desperately trying to regain friction.

“Yup!” Wendy said loudly and pushed her drink to Stan’s chest. “Catch up!”

Wendy turned to skip off into the crowd after she left a messy kiss against Stan’s cheek and he had no choice but to follow without hesitation.  Kyle jumped when a large brown bottle was dangled in front of his face.  He had been too distracted by his best friend and his on again, off again girlfriend to notice the sandy blonde rummaging around in his stash of contraband. “Kyyyyle!” Kenny sang as he held the bottle’s top between his fingertips.

“What’s that?” Kyle asked, an eyebrow turned up quizzically.

Kenny couldn’t supress his wild giggling. “Liquid courage for my anxious little bunny,” he replied drunkenly, his voice full of soft seduction.

Kyle rolled his eyes and swatted the bottle away as he passed by.  Kenny’s loud noise of disappointment followed after him but he chose to ignore it.  He wandered through the crowd of drunk students not old enough to be drinking observing the sights.  Clyde had Bebe pinned against a tree as they wrestled tongues off to the right at the edge of the opening.  Token played a bass quite poorly by the bonfire as people surrounded him.  Kenny continued to hand out booze from the back of his truck with a dirty pickup line at each person he encountered.  Kyle stopped on the opposite side of the bonfire and tilted his head slightly.  A tall boy was leaned over a leaner blonde who had his eyes closed.  It took Kyle a moment to realize it was Craig and Tweek.  Craig had his face pressed to Tweek’s neck as Tweek tried hard to bite back the soft whimpers he wanted to make.  His body was shaking violently.  Well, more violently than usual.  Kyle scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Perverts,” he muttered quietly to himself.

He joined a group of his classmates around the fire who were drinking and talking loudly amongst each other.  Kyle felt distant even though he sat only inches away from the people he knew since kindergarten.  It wasn’t their fault.  They all didn’t necessarily hate him, if anything, he got along with almost everyone in his grade.  The distance was created by him.  He didn’t realize he was doing it at first, and when he realized what was happening, it was already too late for him.

“Hi, Kyle,” a sweet voice sang from beside Kyle.  He was startled by the sudden proximity of the girl next to him in the spot that had been empty since he sat down.

He quickly turned around and smiled, hiding the fact that his heart was hammering hard in his chest.  The blonde-haired girl in a navy-blue jacket with blue-grey jeans sat next to him holding on to a red solo cup full of liquid that Kyle could smell even at the small distance.  The glow from the bonfire lit up the side of her face, highlighting her slightly blushed cheeks, made by the alcohol that coursed through her system.

“Hey, Emily.  How was your summer?” Kyle asked, making nice with the girl he rarely ever spoke with.

Emily hummed quietly and shifted closer on the large piece of wood half embedded in the ground. “Uneventful,” she answered bluntly.  Kyle could smell the vodka stronger on her breath than from inside the cup. “Yours?”

Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “Pretty much the same,” he answered.  He was uncomfortable but he didn’t want to seem rude. “I really didn’t do much.  I was going to go to camp but I decided against it this year.  I could have gone as a counsellor but I don’t think I’d do well having to take care of a bunch of kids.  So, I just—,” Kyle was rambling but stopped when he noticed the girl’s cheeks getting dangerously red and she was struggling to keep her eyes open. “Hey, are you alright?” he asked worriedly as a hand lifted to gently touch the girl’s shoulder.

Emily hummed as she nodded lazily. “It’s just really warm here,” she explained and turned her head to look away. “Why don’t we stand over there?” she asked as she pointed a finger in the direction of a large tree at the edge of the open space, away from the crowd but still within the soft glow of the bonfire.  She was on her feet before Kyle could answer.  He could have stayed where he was but he was worried about the staggering and shaky steps the girl was taking.  He sighed heavily as he stood, shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and followed her to make sure she wouldn’t trip over her own feet as her steps sunk deep into the sand with each step.

“Emily, are you sure you’re alright?” Kyle asked worriedly as she pressed her back against the large tree once he caught up to her.

Emily giggled into her hand. “Has anyone told you how hot you got over the years, Kyle?” she asked.  It was a brazen and completely out of left field question that made Kyle’s cheeks instantly reddened in embarrassment.  He was not the one who was hit on by the girls.  Stan was the one who was hit on by the girls.  Over the years, Stan got over his tendency to throw up anytime one would talk to him and Kyle found out just why exactly he never seemed to care when they ignored him. “You’ve really grown into yourself, Kyle.”

Kyle’s heart pounded heavily in his chest like a drum.  Sure, he had gotten taller, not as tall as Stan though.  He had a new hairstyle and his skin was a touch darker, but not much else had changed.  He was still thin and he had freckles all along the tops of his cheeks and his nose and even over his shoulders.

Kyle froze when Emily’s fingers locked through the belt loops of his jeans and she pulled him forward.  His hands shook at his sides.  He didn’t know what to do.  Alarms were going off left, right, and center in his mind.  There was too much noise that he couldn’t hear the sensible voice screaming from the back row of his mind.  Emily leaned forward, keeping her fingers locked around the loops.  He squeezed his eyes shut.

 _“No!  Nono!”_ he suddenly heard the voice scream in his mind and quickly took a step back. _“This is bad!  Get out!”_

Emily’s fingers let go.  Her face was squeezed with confusion and a bit of annoyance.  Kyle shook his head frantically and he turned to quickly rush across the sand to get away.  His head was spinning and he felt sick to his stomach.  Kenny was sitting on the side of his truck’s flatbed handing two beers to Clyde when he noticed Kyle.  His eyebrows knitted together as he watched the red head squeeze through the small group of students showing up for the party and take off quickly down the street away from the loud music and messy dancing.  Kenny hummed quietly to himself and slowly shook his head.  The heavy drunken fog broke away in his mind just enough for him to feel the slight bit of pity for his fleeing friend whose intense red hair disappeared in the darkness.

~//~

The hallway of the school was loud with chatter.  Kyle actually felt a sense of ease being back in the bustle of early mornings and angsty teenagers troubled over stupidly trivial things.  Day one of the last year had officially begun.  Unfortunately, Kyle woke feeling groggy and unmotivated.  His lack of sleep that past two weeks since the party had caught up to him with a harsh bite.  He trudged to the bus stop in heavy silence that Stan didn’t question where Cartman stood waiting.  He was still fat and evil with a signature, “Hey Fags!” greeting when the two friends approached.  The greeting made a sharp shiver crawl up Kyle’s spine.

“Ignore him,” Kyle muttered under his breath to Stan who was about to lunge at the brunette who was an entire foot shorter and looked like he could barely walk a block without falling over.

Stan struggled to keep his composure every time Cartman made a snippy comment under his breath aimed more so towards Kyle than anyone or anything else.  When they got on the bus, Kyle took the window seat to press his forehead against the cool glass.  He closed his eyes and was pretty sure he fell asleep, only waking up when Stan gave him a small nudge.

The morning was a haze of bodies and loud voices of students being reunited from the summer.  Kyle was tuning it all out. “What’s your schedule look like this semester?” Stan asked as he leaned over to read over his friend’s shoulder as they walked away from the office.

Kyle cleared his throat as he rubbed his eye with his knuckles. “Algebra, History, Spanish, and Gym,” he answered as he read off the page.

“Dude, we only have two classes together.  That sucks!” Stan said loudly with a frustrated groan as he rubbed harshly at the back of his head. “Ah, well, at least I can cheat off you in History and Gym,” he joked and threw an arm around Kyle’s shoulders.

“You can’t cheat off me in Gym,” Kyle replied with a small smirk as he folded up the piece of paper to shove it into his back pocket. “Not that you’d need to.”

“Well, it is true that physical education is the one thing I’m good at,” Stan said proudly, his back straightened as his face beamed brightly.

“The one thing,” Kyle stressed and Stan smacked the back of his head gently.

Even thought they didn’t share homeroom, Stan’s locker was only just around the corner from Kyle’s.  It was still far enough away that he found himself standing alone in the hallway, again feeling millions of miles away from everyone around him.  He looked around at his surrounding lockers but didn’t see anyone from his immediate group which made his shoulders tense.  He knew the people in his class but he already had a feeling it was going to be a long and boring class without anyone he really connected with.

When he was finished in his locker he stepped into the classroom to take a seat in the middle at the back of the class as other students funneled inside.  He opened his fresh new notebook to the first page and instantly began to doodle along the margin with small cartoon drawings as he waited.  The first day was always the worst and he was dreading it.  The bell rang, echoing loudly through the halls to pour through the open door into the classroom, and the teacher began to hand out the class’s textbooks.  The chatter hadn’t stopped as she moved between rows handing the thick, hardcovered books to students.

“Alright, now that everyone had a textbook, we can go over the syllabus for the semester,” she explained.  The classroom was still full of chatter but it instantly silenced when the classroom door suddenly creaked open. “Hello?” she turned to say to the disruption that made her scowl.

“Sorry I’m late,” an unfamiliar voice said through the quiet where a few quiet voices whispered to each other around the room.  Kyle paused his doodling for a moment.  His eyebrows were furrowed together as he blinked a few times but didn’t look up. “I got lost,” the voice added with a small, nervous chuckle

Kyle returned to his doodling. “It’s no trouble, you’re not that late,” the teacher answered with a small tint of annoyance in her voice. “Take these and then take a seat.”

Footsteps moved across the room.  Kyle continued to keep his attention on the doodles that took up almost half of the margin, even when the footsteps drew incredibly close to stop in front of his desk. “Is it okay if I sit here?” the unfamiliar voice asked from overhead.

Kyle’s hand stopped just before his pencil touched the paper.  He quickly lifted his head to look up at the hand pointing at the empty spot beside him.  He didn’t see the face of whoever was standing in front of him because the colourful bracelets caught his attention, making his eyes widen.  He let himself stare for a bit too long before he forced his eyes to travel up.  The boy standing in front of his desk smiled.  It was a soft smile, full of light that was intoxicating to stare at.  He had beige skin with medium length chestnut brown hair parted on the left and gold coloured eyes.  Not a yellowish brown, but gold.  Kyle’s breath hitched in his throat.  The tightness in his chest was completely foreign and a little terrifying.  He cleared his throat shakily to try to calm his sudden nerves and nodded.  The taller boy’s smile widened a bit and he took the empty seat.  The teacher carried on with explaining the syllabus every student had.  Kyle was a statue.  He couldn’t move as his heart slammed itself against the inside of his chest in a desperate attempt to get free.

“My name’s Aaron,” the mystery boy suddenly introduced himself as he offered the hand that the colourful bracelets were wrapped around.

Kyle was snapped out of his trance.  He quickly spun his head around to stare at the offered hand to him.  The colourful strings of his bracelets weaved through small beads that were painted with worn out letters.  Kyle couldn’t make out what they said before the silence was drifting into awkwardness. “Kyle Broflovski,” he said as he grabbed the boy’s hand to give it a small shake.

The boy smiled again.  It was absolutely breathtaking and made Kyle’s chest tighten again. _“What the hell is going on?”_ he thought to himself as he quickly moved his hand away.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kyle,” the boy said with genuine happiness.

“Mr. Carmichael?” the teacher called out across the classroom.  Her voice carried across the room instantly made Kyle and Aaron straighten in their seats.  Their heads spun around to their attention was at the front of the room.

“Yes ma’am?” Aaron replied stiffly.  Kyle looked confused by the level of respect that dripped from his voice so naturally.

“Pay attention, young man,” the teacher said. “You too, Kyle.”

Kyle’s cheeks lightened up with a small touch of pink as he nodded slowly.  Aaron’s smile widened.  It was genuine.  Kyle saw it from the corner of his eyes and had to blink. “Sorry, Ms. Elson,” the boy apologized.

 _“Who the hell is this guy?”_ Kyle thought to himself and bowed his head again to continue doodling.  He needed a distraction.

“Ugh, dude, creative writing sucks!” Stan exclaimed as he took the seat next to Kyle where he could sit next to the wall. “I thought I picked an easy course.  Something that could help keep my GPA up, but it’s so stupid!” He shuffled through his book but stopped when too much time had passed without a response from his friend.  His eyebrow lifted as he turned his head to see Kyle staring a few desks forward and in the left row where Aaron sat reading something from near the front of the room. “Dude!”

Kyle snapped from his daze with a physical jolt.  His back straightened and he quickly spun his head around to look back at his friend with wide eyes.  He looked like a deer in the headlights. “Huh?” he asked in confusion.

Stan chuckled after a small scoff. “Dude, what the hell?” he asked as he rested his elbow against his desk and placed his chin on his palm. “You were totally out of it.  Are you alright?  I know you haven’t been sleeping well lately, but you and your insomnia are like old friends now.”

“Oh, uh, w—well,” Kyle stuttered, his cheeks pinking slightly. “The new kid.”

Stan followed Kyle’s pointing finger with eyebrows knitted together in confusion.  His eyes stopped on Aaron, the new kid he had noticed when he entered the room but didn’t give much thought to it. “New kid?  Why would anyone join a new school in their last year of high school?” he asked quizzically.

Kyle nodded rapidly. “That’s what I was thinking,” he shrieked a little too loudly.  Heads turned randomly around the room.  Stan snickered as his friend slid down slightly in his seat.

Stan suddenly let out a sharp gasp as something sparked in his mind. “Maybe he’s a psychopath who got expelled from his last school?” Stan asked with a wide, unsettling grin. “Wouldn’t that be so cool?  Serial killer,” he explained and made the high pitched screeching noises to mimic the sound effect from _Psycho_.

Kyle rolled his eyes dramatically. “Why do you always go there?” he asked with a soft sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Because it’s fun,” Stan replied with a small shrug of his shoulders.

“How bad is my luck?” Kenny asked as he walked over to sit in the desk behind Stan.  He had the hood of his sweater pulled up over his head and sat with his legs stretched out in front of him to invade into Stan’s space. “I’ve got Mr. Boulder for Biology again.  It’s bullshit.” Kyle and Stan shared the same unamused look as they both shook their heads. “The man hates me.  He’s a prick.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Maybe if you would keep your eyes open then you wouldn’t have to retake so many classes and maybe some of your teachers would actually learn to like you for your personality instead of hating you because you’re a shithead,” he explained for more brutally than Kenny had anticipated.

“Hey, I don’t need that kind of lip from you, Broflovski,” Kenny warned jokingly as he tossed a crumpled-up piece of paper to let it hit the side of Kyle’s head.

Kyle laughed and it filled the room over the sound of the soft conversation from the other students. “I’m just telling it as I see it,” he said as he ruffled his own hair and turned away from Kenny flipping him off.  He froze.  Aaron’s gold eyes stared over his shoulder as the corner of his lips turned up in a slight grin that made Kyle’s shoulders shiver.  Stan was distracted with reading his textbook but Kenny noticed the tension in Kyle’s shoulders as he stared forward at the new kid.  Neither of them looked away and Kyle noticeably shifted in his seat as he cleared his throat loudly.  He broke the connection first to lower his head as if he was fascinated with absolutely nothing in his hands.  An evil, devilish grin formed on Kenny’s face.  He was going to have far too much fun with what he had planned.

Kyle sat down at the table in the cafeteria with a sigh.  The day was dragging on.  First period he felt tense the entire class as he actively tried to ignore the presence of the new student that sat next to him.  He was tense all period and couldn’t wrap his head around why.  Second period, though he had Stan and Kenny to keep him occupied, he couldn’t help but think about the student a few desks in front of him.  The smile he had was bewitching to Kyle.  There was confidence and mystery behind that smile.  It was annoying.

“Leftovers?” Stan asked as he poked at Kyle’s brown paper bag.

“Lasagna,” Kyle answered with a small smile as he reached into the bag to pull out a can of pop and the Tupperware dish full of a large slice of leftover lasagna.

Stan’s nose turned up at the food with complete distain. “Leftover cold lasagna?  Is that even considered a lunch?” he asked, his nose scrunched up as he spoke.

“Better than cafeteria pizza, again,” Kyle rebutted. “You’re pretty much eating ass.  It smells like ass.  It tastes like ass.  It’s ass.”

“Kyle, how exactly do you know what—?” Stan started to ask but stopped when a loud voice cut him off.

“What tastes like ass?” Clyde asked as he walked over with Bebe, Craig, and Tweek.

Clyde sat down first across the table from Kyle with Bebe on his lap.  It was an odd thing they did every lunch but no one questioned it.  At first they were ridiculed for it, but after a while they all lost interest in the strange couple.  Awkward Clyde and beautiful Bebe, it was a mix-match made in heaven.  Craig sat in the middle and Tweek took a shaky seat beside his boyfriend who carried his food for him so he wouldn’t drop it.

“The cafeteria pizza,” Kyle answered Clyde when everyone was settled in as he popped off the lid to his Tupperware dish.

“Oh, then you won’t mind, right Stanley?” Kenny suddenly asked as he skillfully leaned over Stan’s shoulder to take the half-eaten slice off his tray.

“Hey!  Dude, what the hell?” Stan shouted and reached up to smack Kenny on the chest. “It may taste like ass but it’s still my lunch, you asshole.”

Kenny plopped down next to Kyle with a satisfied chuckle, sitting practically on the red head’s lap, as he nibbled on the slice of pizza.  The cerulean blue eyes were scanning the room as everyone at the table lost themselves in mindless chatter.  He was looking through the sea of students for a specific one.  He had spent the entire second period observing the strange new boy who had caught Kyle’s attention so intensely.  It was an odd exchange of quiet glances and small grins.  At one point in time when Kyle got up to write on the chalkboard as the teacher continued to speak to the class, the new boy’s attention was completely on the red head.

Kenny’s eyes finally stopped to settle on the brunet sitting alone on the windowsill of one of the large bay windows that looked out the back of the school.  He wore thin, silver rimmed glasses perched on the edge of his nose as he read from a worn, well used book and chewed on a bright red apple.  Kenny’s lips turned up into the devilish grin once again.  The plan he had been devising all through second period was about to be put into motion.

Everyone was deep in conversation, except Kyle and Kenny.  It was like the universe was working hand in hand with Kenny and that idea made him grin like an idiot.  Kenny silently thanked whatever higher power there was in the world that Kyle was an independent introvert most of the time.

“Hey,” Kenny kept his voice low as he nudged Kyle with his elbow.  The bright green eyes quickly shifted their attention to the blonde.  Suspicion formed on the red head’s face.  It wasn’t uncommon for him to look at the blonde that way. “I was just thinking, maybe we should invite the new kid over.”

Kenny motioned over to the window and Kyle followed with his eyes.  The suspicion quickly disappeared to be left with the deer in the headlights look that made Kenny’s devilish grin form a bit wider.  Kyle had his fork between his lips, having shoved a piece of his lunch into his mouth before his friend spoke.  He swallowed his food and stabbed his fork into the piece of lasagna. “Why?” he asked coldly.

Kenny shrugged his shoulders. “He’s alone.  It’s his first day here and he hasn’t seemed to have made any friends so far.  He doesn’t seem lame or anything.  Plus, I’m bored and he’s all shiny and new,” Kenny explained with a slightly creepy tone nearing the end. “Come on.  Live a little, Broflovski.”

Kyle rolled his eyes at the blatant whininess in his friend’s tone. “Sure, I guess so,” he replied with a soft sigh and Kenny could hear his attempt at being nonchalant even though there was some excitement buried deep underneath.

Kenny’s grin widened. “You should go invite him over,” he suggested in a quiet whisper that he leaned in slightly to Kyle to say.

“Me?  Why?  It’s your idea,” Kyle sputtered, trying to keep his voice lowered as he spoke.  Bebe looked across the table with curious eyes but ignored whatever had happened to turn her attention back to the conversation Stan and Craig were having.

“You’re the kind one.  I’m the weird one.  I might scare him off,” Kenny explained with a fake pout on his face.  Kyle rolled his eyes and shook his head.  Kenny sighed. “Alright,” he said as he pushed himself up slightly from the bench, “I guess that works.  It’ll give me a chance to talk to him in private.”

Kyle suddenly tensed.  He wasn’t sure why but he quickly grabbed Kenny’s wrist to pull his back down.  The blonde boy almost fell over as he was ripped back down on the bench with a loud grunt.  Bebe gave the two boys another quizzical look. “I’ll do it.  You’re right, you’ll just end up scaring him off,” Kyle growled.  He wasn’t sure where the tension in his body came from.  The thick, dry lump in his throat was strange and he found it hard to swallow as he pushed himself up to his feet.

He felt like he was moving like a phantom.  He felt disconnected as he stepped over the bench to start to walk away.  Stan noticed the absence of his friend and turned his head with furrowed eyebrows. “Where’s he going?” he asked as Kenny slid across the bench towards him to take Kyle’s spot.

“To make friends, dear Stanley.  To make friends,” Kenny said in a low voice and grabbed the fork stabbed in Kyle’s lunch to shove a piece of the lasagna into his mouth.  Needless to say, Stan was completely confused but not curious enough to ask anything else.

Kyle had to shove his hands into the pockets of his sweater to stop their shaking.  He was never really one for socializing and making new friends, it made him nervous.  Now he was willingly making his way to some random stranger he didn’t know anything about except his name.  No wonder his heart was racing in his chest.  He couldn’t get it to settle down.

 _“So why the hell did I stop Kenny?  Why am I the one talking to him?”_ Kyle internally screamed at himself. _“I’m such an idiot!”_

He stopped by the window and couldn’t help but stare.  Aaron was tall with soft muscles in his chest that appeared through his t-shirt revealed under his open sweater.  He wore dark jeans and expensive sneakers that looked like they had never been worn before that day.  He turned his half-eaten apple in his hand before he took a bite, wiping the juice away with the back of his hand that escaped the corner of his mouth.  Kyle swallowed hard.  A strange sensation tingled his toes and the back of his neck.  The boy stopped chewing for a moment, sensing the boy standing next to him.  He lifted his eyes and then quickly turned his head to face Kyle who was creepily staring.  Having been caught, Kyle’s cheeks lit up with bright red flush as his body tensed.  Aaron swallowed the mouthful of apple he had been chewing on.

“Kyle, right?” he asked, the corner of his lip turning up slightly.  Kyle swallowed again and nodded.  Aaron carefully closed his book, removed his glasses, and turned to let his legs dangle along the wall. “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.  What can I do for you?”

 _“Oh fuck, I have to say something.  I haven’t said anything!”_ Kyle panicked. “Uh, you weren’t wearing glasses in class,” he blurted out. _“Really?  That’s your fucking go to?”_

“Watching me, were you?” Aaron asked and Kyle noted how he always seemed so confident.  Even his voice was strong and unwavering as he spoke.  It was a particularly annoying feature of the grinning brunet.  He kind of reminded Kyle of Kenny.

“What?  N—No, it’s just—you sat next to me in class and they’re noticeable,” Kyle tried but failed to say without letting his nerves get the better of him. _“Good job, idiot.”_

Aaron could have easily laughed at how flustered Kyle got, but didn’t. “I left them in my car and by the time I realized, I was already late for class.  I just decided to hold off,” he explained and chuckled softly with a small shake of his head. “I didn’t think the teacher would make us take notes on the first day,” he added and lifted his hand to scratch his head. “I couldn’t write anything down, but I guess that’ll make me learn not to keep these damn things in my car.”

Kyle lost himself in Aaron’s words.  There was something trusting and relaxing about his voice.  Kyle quickly shook his daze away and cleared his throat loudly. “Right, uh, well, I was just wondering if you wanted to sit with us.” The words came out easier than he had expected, but he still wanted to throw up the lump that was sitting in his throat.

Aaron looked confused and a little curious.  Kyle pointed a thumb over his shoulder.  The brunet leaned to the side to see Kenny smile and wiggle his fingers in a waving motion from across the cafeteria. “Do I look that lonely?” Aaron asked as he sat back and smiled up at Kyle.  That damn smile again, but Kyle was starting to get used to it.

Kyle shrugged his shoulders dramatically. “A little bit.  And besides, only weirdoes sit alone reading during lunch,” he joked.  Jokes were good.  Jokes were calming.

“Weirder than staring at the guy reading alone during lunch?” Aaron teased with a lifted eyebrow.  The blush returned to Kyle’s cheeks.  He felt warm.  His entire body was on fire.  Aaron laughed.  It was a soft chuckle that instantly made Kyle relax. “I’m kidding.  I’d love to join you guys,” he said and stood.  He wasn’t quite as tall as Stan but he still stood over Kyle.  He took a step forward to stand within inches of Kyle when he was too lost in his thoughts to react. “I warn you though.  Everyone always falls in love with me eventually,” he explained cockily and took another bite of his apple.

Kyle quickly spun around, maybe a bit too quickly.  He was like a jointless robot moving through the tables back to his friends where Kenny had his chin resting in his hand as he smiled proudly. “Guys,” Kyle spoke up, ending any conversation being held at the table. “This is Aaron, he’s new.  Aaron, meet Kenny, Stan, Tweek, Craig, Clyde, and Bebe.  Aaron’s gonna…hang out with us.”

The table was eerily quiet.  Kyle cleared his throat loudly and quickly sat down beside Kenny who had taken the liberty of finishing off the red head’s lunch without asking.  Kyle rolled his eyes at the crooked grin that was formed on his blonde friend’s face.  Aaron sat down beside the red head, putting his book and glasses down in front of him as he rubbed his hands against his thighs.

“So, new school in your final year of high school?  How much do your parents hate you?” Clyde joked.

The table erupted with laughter from Kenny as everyone else shouted angrily. “Jeez, Clyde, have some damn class!” Craig smacked his friend’s shoulder as he yelled bitterly.  Kenny was holding on to his stomach as he roared with heavy laughter.

“I am so sorry, Aaron,” Bebe said with a heavy sigh across the table. “Clyde is literally a most tactless person you will ever meet, beside Kenny.”

“H—Hey!” Kenny managed to stop laughing to say with an offended tone.

“It’s okay.  My parents and I have a general understanding of hatred with each other.  I’m only allowed another year though before I’m legally allowed to be kicked out so they couldn’t go easy on me,” Aaron joked back with his signature smile.  Clyde chuckled loudly.  He opened his mouth to say something.

“Bebe!” Craig shouted and the girl with bright yellow hair quickly covered the boy’s mouth to keep him from saying something else stupid.

“So, Aaron, where are you from?” Stan leaned forward to ask, distracting everyone from the flailing Clyde was doing to try to get free from his girlfriend.

“Boulder,” Aaron answered though he was obviously amused by the struggling from across the table from him. “My mom got a new job here so we decided to move.  She is actually a fantastic mother and loves me a lot,” Aaron explained and took another bite of his apple with a satisfied grin.

“And you were okay with that?” Stan asked with general interest.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders. “I couldn’t not be okay with it.  Besides, it’s high school.  It sucks no matter where I go.  At least here I can kind of get a fresh start,” he explained and laughed softly. “Looks like I can’t get away from the weirdoes though, no matter where I go,” he teased and lightly bumped Kyle’s arm.

Kyle made a happy noise that startled even him.  Stan’s eyebrow lifted in curiosity towards his best friend when the red head turned to see the judging expression.  Kyle quickly cleared his throat and lowered his head. “Watch yourself, Kyle,” Kenny leaned in towards Kyle to whisper. “You might turn redder than his apple.”

_“Fuck you, Kenny McCormick.”_


	2. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a re-edited version of Anywhere You Go (the fanfic I made once upon a time that I actually love).

Kyle shut his bedroom door and let his head rest back against it with a hollow thump.  He made it through the first day of senior year where every single class was with the new student, Aaron.  He made it through his mother’s onslaught of questions when he got home to which he answered with brief answers that were just good enough to get her off his back for a moment so she could turn her attention to Ike for a while.  He made it through his father’s lecture on making sure to figure everything out ASAP or be left behind because there wasn’t much time left.  He made it, and his reward was sweet silence.

He flopped down on top of his bed with a heavy so to let his tired muscles finally relax.  He worked his fingertips into the pain that formed in his temples as he closed his eyes.  The pain was dull and slowly faded away as he kneaded the tense skin.  He was getting used to the terrible sensation there.  When it first started, his mother rushed him to the hospital but the doctor chalked it up as a mere headache that would go away.  It never really did, but at least he was getting used to it.  He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling with a frown when it finally passed over.  He was exhausted but he knew he had to get up and do something.  He had to keep himself awake for a bit or else he’d sleep like shit.

The lamp turned on with a click and Kyle sat down at his desk to flip open his Algebra textbook.  First day back to school and he already had homework.  He worked through the equations, taking his time as the sun went down outside.  He tapped his pencil against his textbook as he stared at the open page in front of him.  He could hear his parents laughing downstairs, his brother in the room next door playing loud music, and even some kids screaming from outside as they chased each other around a nearby backyard.  He was stuck on a question when he suddenly felt a sharp shock course through his spine as the image of bright gold eyes flashed in his mind.  His pencil clattered against his desk as he pushed himself back in his chair.  He groaned quietly, squeezing his eyes shut as tight as he could to push out the invading thought.

“What the hell was that?” he muttered to himself and slowly opened his eyes.  The dull pain was back.  He gently started to rub his temples again but stopped when he laid his eyes on his notebook.  Another thought hit him, but it wasn’t nearly as intense as the wave before.  He gently nibbled on his bottom lip as he considered the small voice in his head.  After he was finished with his great debate, he reached out to grab the notebook as he pushed aside the textbook.  He’d come back to the equation later.

~//~

Kyle followed Stan and Kenny out of Kenny’s truck in a tired haze.  In an attempt to keep himself awake so he would sleep well, he overdid it by staying up too long and going to bed late.  When his alarm went off in the morning like an annoying bee buzzing around his head, he regretted every time he looked at his clock the night before and told himself, _I’ll just stay up a few more minutes_.

The boys were moving across the parking lot towards the secondary entrance of the school but Kyle stopped before he could reach the doors.  Stan and Kenny were deep in a conversation and didn’t realize their smaller friend had stopped to stare at the familiar black muscle car parked in the lot.  He couldn’t help but admire the beauty of it every time he saw it.

“Hey, Jew.”

Kyle froze and his body tensed.  It was strange how naturally a body could react to something when the brain went completely dead.  The dull pain in his head amplified into a sharp one that was almost blinding.  He slowly turned his head, hoping that he had just imagined the voice, but sure enough Cartman stood between him and the school.  The fat teen’s smile was wide, flashing his yellow teeth permanently stained by all the soda and candy he had consumed over the years.

Kyle struggled to keep his shaking legs steady underneath him. “Out ‘ere without yer bodyguards?” Cartman snarled smugly.  Stan and Kenny were at the entrance and still didn’t notice.  Kyle started to panic.  His chest tightened, strangling his breath.  Cartman’s fat fingers suddenly wrapped around his arm and he took an instinctive step back.  It didn’t do any good against the grip that stayed tight around his arm. “Yer not goin’ anywhere, Kahl.  Why don’t we pick up where we left off last time, eh?”

The soft whimper that escaped Kyle was pathetic.  His entire body was curling in on itself but all he could focus on was the fingers tightening around his arm, bruising the flesh there.

“L—Let go of him, Eric,” a squeaky voice piped up.

Kyle snapped out of his cowering response.  He and Cartman both turned their heads to see Butters approaching with Craig and Tweek close behind him and Craig was picking up speed.  Cartman immediately let go of Kyle to take a step back, his hands up in surrender as Craig barreled down on him.  Cartman was tiny against Craig’s athletic build accompanied by his blind rage.  Butters placed himself in front of Kyle and Tweek was holding on to the red head’s arm as he shook.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Fatass?” Stan’s voice suddenly shouted.

Cartman was surrounded.  He was visibly scared but he was trying hard to hide it. “I wasn’t doin’ anything, Craig,” Cartman replied smugly.  He turned his head at the sound of footsteps behind him as Stan and Kenny approached.  They had been alerted by Butters’ voice and rushed over as quickly as possible. “Just, goin’ to class, Fag,” Cartman said as the warning bell rang from the school.

Cartman slipped his large ass out of the situation with ease.  Everyone watched him with fiery eyes as he waddled away with proud steps.  Craig made an animalistic growl that only ceased when Tweek grabbed his hand.  Everyone turned to look at Kyle. _“Fuck, there it is,”_ he thought to himself as he looked between the different faces staring back at him. _“Pity.  That’s all there is.”_

“Kyle—,” Stan started to say.  The tone he used made Kyle scowl angrily.

He broke himself from any contact with anyone and began to storm towards the school. “I’m going to be late,” he muttered as he passed by his friends with his head lowered.  Frustration made his hands shake.  He knew they were worried.  He knew they just wanted to protect him, but he couldn’t stand that look.  Pity.  It drove him nuts.

And it unknowingly drove him into his classroom in a blur.  He didn’t remember stopping at his locker.  He didn’t remember putting away his coat and bag.  He didn’t remember anything but somehow he was standing in the doorway of the Algebra classroom and all of his frustration and tension was gone as he stared across the space towards to where Aaron sat in the same spot as the previous day.

Kyle wasn’t sure why but it was a relief to see him there.  He had his glasses perched on his slender nose as he read from the same book he was reading at lunch the day before. _“You’re staring again, idiot,”_ his thoughts invaded to say.  He immediately cleared his throat, straightened his back, and marched across the room to stop in front of the desk where the brunet sat.  He thumbed unconsciously at the bracelets on his wrist as he continued to read, not looking up until the small pile of papers were dropped on top of his open book.  He looked at Kyle over his glasses and smiled.  The gold coloured irises of his eyes were brighter at the touch of the morning sun.

“Morning to you too,” he said teasingly.

“I copied my Algebra and History notes from yesterday,” Kyle replied nonchalantly as he started to move around the desk.

Aaron picked up the papers covered in Kyle’s tired writing to examine it. “Wow, thanks,” he said happily.

Kyle sat down in the seat next to Aaron and shook his head. “Don’t thank me.  I just don’t want to see you fall behind on the first day at a new school.  That would be embarrassing,” Kyle explained and let the small smile form on his face.  He didn’t know why he was trying so hard.  He felt like he was going to break something from all the tension in his body.

“Hey!  There it is!” Aaron exclaimed loudly as he gently poked at Kyle’s cheek.  The contact started the red head. “I thought maybe you were some sort of robot who didn’t know how to smile.”

“I’m not a robot,” Kyle said as he swatted Aaron’s hand away and then turned to scowl at the taller boy.

Aaron grinned. “You’re right, you have scowl marks and you’re not even technically an adult yet,” he explained as he pressed a fingertip to the space between Kyle’s eyebrows. “Robots don’t get wrinkles.” Kyle smiled again and smacked Aaron’s hand away as he rolled his eyes.

The bell rang and Ms. Elson stood at the front of the class. “Alright students, let’s start our class.”

Kyle felt like the class wasn’t going to drag on as much as it did the day before.  He may have been tired before, but he found energy from somewhere he didn’t know he had in the few brief minutes he spoke with the brunet.

~//~

Aaron was strange but also fun to be around.  He quickly won over Kyle, Stan, and even Kenny.  Everyone else took a little time but he eventually managed to win them all over, effectively placing himself in the group of friends that had been together since elementary school.  He even had Craig laughing to the point of tears one day.  The person he had the most though was Kyle.  They were in all four classes a day with each other.  They sat next to each other in Algebra and Spanish where they knew no one else except for Clyde in Spanish who kept closely to Token.

It was two weeks later when Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Aaron were sitting together at lunch.  Kenny usually took to scavenging small bits of food from everyone, but Aaron sat down and presented a second sandwich from his bag to the dirty blonde-haired boy across the table.

“Huh?” Kenny asked quizzically.

“It’s yours.  I made it,” Aaron said with his signature bright smile.

Kenny looked suspicious at the offering. “I don’t—,” he said and Kyle was surprised by the nervousness in his voice.  Kenny was always cool and collected, even to the point that bordered on psychotic.

“Would you rather the sandwich or would you rather pick from Stan’s ass pizza and Kyle’s disgusting leftovers?” Aaron asked.

“Hey!” both Kyle and Stan protested simultaneously.

Kenny smiled meekly.  It was a surprising and yet refreshing shift in personality.  He was never one to ask for handouts.  Kyle and Stan took to strategically offering assistance without ever damaging Kenny’s pride, but Aaron didn’t even bother tiptoeing around the issue.  He didn’t even really address it, he was just doing what he felt was natural without thinking twice.  It was…incredible.

“Thanks,” Kenny said as he reached out to take the sandwich and took a large bite out of it.

When Aaron was satisfied with Kenny’s response to the food, he folded his hands together in front of him as he leaned back slightly. “Alright, now, I wanted to ask you guys something,” he said and paused when Kenny made a loud moaning sound filled with pleasure that was slightly disturbing and amusing to listen to.

“Only if you make another one of these,” the blonde said, his voice muffled by a mouth full of food.

Aaron chuckled lightly. “I wanted to know if you guys wanted to come over to my house after school today.  It’s still a bit of a mess because of the boxes but the game room is done,” he explained.

Stan stopped chewing for a moment to look at Aaron with wide eyes. “You have a game room?” he asked.  His words were quick and he didn’t blink which was a little unnerving.

“Well, it’s the basement but there’s a big TV and video games and—,” Aaron was explaining when Stan interrupted excitedly.

“Hell yeah, dude!” he exclaimed loudly. “That sounds sweet.  Kenny?”

“Like I said, only if you make another one of these,” Kenny spoke up as he waved the sandwich around in front of Aaron.

The brunet laughed and nodded. “Yes, Kenny, I’ll make you a sandwich.  I promise.” Kenny whooped excitedly and shoved more sandwich in his mouth than he should have but with no regret when he almost choked.

“You’re coming too, right, Kyle?” Stan asked as Aaron reached across the table to give Kenny a few reassuring pats on the arm to which the dirty blonde haired boy gave a thumbs up.

Aaron turned his head to look at his red headed friend.  The smaller boy hummed lightly to himself as he tapped his fork against the inside of his Tupperware dish. “I don’t know,” he said in a quiet voice that made all of the other boys’ expressions twist with worry and curiosity, “he did call my leftovers disgusting,” he finished in a teasing voice.

“Hey, I was kidding,” Aaron said as he playfully bumped his shoulder against Kyle’s. “Come on, it’ll be fun.  I promise.”

Kyle’s spine shuttered at the proximity he was at with Aaron.  He could feel the other boy’s warmth through their shirts.  A foot suddenly connected with Kyle’s shin, snapping him out of his daze.  Kyle shot a scowl across the table at Kenny who had his sandwich shoved into his mouth as he shrugged his shoulders slightly.

“Well?” Aaron pressed.

Kyle quickly turned his head to face his friend and smiled. “Yeah, of course.”

Aaron beamed.  Kyle didn’t think it was possible for his smile to get any brighter, but it did.  It made Kyle’s chest suddenly tighten and he wanted to stare at that smile forever.

_“Dude!  What the hell!  That’s so gay!”_

Kyle quickly shook his head and looked back down at his lunch but stopped before he could take a bite of the leftover meatloaf.  His eyes shifted up and Kenny still had the sandwich shoved in his mouth but the corners of his lips were obviously turned up into his devilish grin that Kyle had noticed more and more lately.  He was up to something.

~//~

Kyle ruffled his wet hair with his towel.  Gym was harsh and left him feeling gross so he decided to have a quick shower to wash away the thin layer of sweat created on his skin.  Most of the class was gone to catch their buses or walk home as he stepped into the locker room where Stan, Kenny, and Aaron waited.  Kenny and Stan were sitting back to back on the bench in between the lockers as Aaron leaned against the one next to Kyle’s.

“Kyle!” Stan yelled and startled his friend who had just stepped into the room.

“Jeez, what Stan?” Kyle asked with a heavy sigh as he stepped over the bench and Stan’s legs.

“Aaron has a dog and a cat and an iguana.  An iguana, Kyle!” Stan explained excitedly as he flailed his arms.  His movements jostled Kenny who was playing a game on Kyle’s phone, making it hard for him to focus on not dying.

Kyle opened his locker and turned to give Aaron a quizzical look with a lifted eyebrow. “You own an iguana?” he asked to verify while still gently rubbing his towel against his hair.

Aaron nodded. “Yep, and a hedgehog too,” he added proudly.

“Dude, a hedgehog!” Stan yelled, his voice echoed off the walls of the locker room.

Kyle quickly spun his head around, making his body turn slightly, to face his dark-haired friend. “I heard him!  Calm down, dude,” Kyle yelled back and threw his towel to have his smack against Stan’s face.  He sighed and turned back to face Aaron.  The gold eyes were lowered to Kyle’s chest, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.  Kyle mimicked his confusion before he looked down and was reminded of the long scar that ran from his left collarbone to just under his sternum that until that moment had been hidden by the towel.  His cheeks heated as he realized it was the first time Aaron had really seen the marking on him.

He quickly reached into his locker to grab his shirt to throw it on over his head to hide away the flaw across his skin.  Aaron cleared his throat loudly, frowned, and ran his fingers through his messy hair.  It was the first time Kyle had seen him really frown.  Tension was thick between the two boys but it was quickly cut off when Kenny suddenly piped up in a whiny voice following him dying in his game.

“Come on!  I want another sandwich!”

“Alright, Kenny, we’re going,” Stan said and swung his legs off the bench.

All tension was lost as they all grabbed their bags and left the locker room.  Kyle felt nervous as he walked beside Aaron through the halls though Stan and Kenny were inches behind them.  When he was left alone with the taller boy for only a few minutes at their lockers, he couldn’t help but overthink anything and everything that ran through his mind. 

_Was he disgusted by the scar?  Did someone tell him?  Does he know the story?  No, he can’t.  There’s no way.  So, does he think…I’m disgusting?_

Kyle looked up from his bag.  Aaron stood a few steps away with his bag over his shoulder.  He had a strange expression on his face at first that quickly disappeared to be replaced by his familiar smile that made Kyle’s racing heart stop dead in its panicked tracks. “Are you ready?”

 _Oh...shit._   Kyle nodded and reached up to gently close his locker.  Aaron and Kenny had parked beside each other outside the school.  They had resorted to parking far from the entrance so they could be next to each other.  Kyle admired how Kenny’s old battered pickup truck looked even older next to the perfectly restored muscle car Aaron drove.

“You follow me?” Aaron asked Kenny who stopped and looked at Kyle.

The grin returned to his face.  That mischievous, devilous grin that Kyle still couldn’t figure out. _“What the hell is that look for?”_ Kyle snapped mentally as his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Why don’t you take Kyle?” Kenny asked and everyone looked at him with different levels of confusion and curiosity. “If I lose you, Stan and Kyle can text each other to figure out where you are.”

“But I know where—,” Stan started to say but stopped with a loud grunt when Kenny threw his bag over his shoulder and intentionally hit the raven-haired boy in the stomach.

“Try not to go too fast.  My truck’s sturdy but she’s not very fast compared to yours,” Kenny joked and then grabbed Stan by the shoulder. “Let’s go, Stanley.”

“Stop calling me that!” Stan shouted as he was pulled away while still gripping his stomach.

“They have an interesting relationship,” Aaron mentioned with his head cocked slightly to the side.

Kyle laughed softly. “That is probably the biggest understatement of the year,” he joked and looked over at Aaron who seemed almost relieved towards him. “What?” Kyle asked sternly.

Aaron shook his head. “Nothing, let’s go,” he replied and turned to head towards the driver’s side of his car. “I warn you though, I’m not gentle.”

Kyle’s eyebrows knitted together.  He felt heat forming in his cheeks and was thankful that Aaron didn’t see before he slipped into the car.  It took Kyle a few deep breaths to steady himself before he opened the passenger’s side and lowered himself into the vehicle.  Instant comfort washed over him, clearing away any tension he may have felt.  The car had soft leather seats and was pristine, like it had just rolled off the lot brand new and never used.  The inside had small details of blue on the dashboard and steering wheel but most it all was black.

“Wow,” Kyle couldn’t help but gawk.  Aaron looked at him with curiosity. “I’ve never been in a car like this before.  What—What kind is it?”

“A 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle,” Aaron answered as the engine purred to life.  The sound made Kyle’s mouth stretch to a wide smile.

“It’s beautiful,” Kyle said as he gently ran his hand over the leather dashboard to let his thin fingers feel every bump.

“It sure is,” Aaron said in a low voice.

Kyle quickly turned his head as Aaron was turning in his seat to back out of the parking spot.  Suddenly, he was hit with the memory of the locker room.  The frown on Aaron’s face, it seemed so foreign, and Kyle knew he was the reason for it.  Aaron put the car in drive and started out of the parking lot with Kenny’s truck following.  Kyle fidgeted with the hem of his sweater’s sleeve.  The car turned out of the parking lot onto the main street.

“Look, I—,” Kyle suddenly started to say but stopped himself when he realized he wasn’t quite sure where he was going with it.  Aaron didn’t say anything.  Kyle wasn’t sure if he just hadn’t heard him or if he was being polite in letting Kyle form the words. “My scar, there’s a reason for it,” Kyle finally managed to get out with little shake to his voice. “It’s difficult to explain, and I—”

“Kyle,” Aaron suddenly said and the forcefulness in his tone startled the red head.  Kyle pressed his hands harder into his lap as he stared down at them. “I barely know you and you barely know me.  One of the great things about becoming friends is finding out new things as you go, but at your own pace.  I’m sure the scar has something to do with a long story that I will eventually know when the time comes.  If that time isn’t now, I’m not going to be heartbroken about it.  Everyone has a past they’re uncomfortable talking about, but you must find people you’re comfortable with to finally share.  I may not be one of those people now, but I hope I’ll become one of those people.  I mean, you guys are weird, but you’re also pretty cool to hang out with too.”

Kyle’s shoulders relaxed.  He couldn’t look up but Aaron was speaking with a caring tone that made him feel—

_“Safe?”_

“You just—You looked so freaked out when you saw it,” Kyle couldn’t help but say.

Aaron scoffed and nodded. “I will admit, it kind of freaked me out.  It looks bad, like it hurt a lot.  A hell of a lot,” he explained and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “Can I ask you one thing about it?”

Kyle turned his head slightly to look at the swaying keys in the ignition.  His heart was in his ears.  The dull pain was forming in his temples. “Yeah,” he answered in a low voice.

“Are you alright?” Aaron asked.

The question was like a knife to Kyle’s chest.  He had been asked it so many god damn times before but it always seemed like it was a reflex from people, like they were asking just because they had to.  Even Stan sounded robotic every time he said it, but Aaron sounded genuine, like he really wanted to make sure Kyle was alright.  Like every part of him was untouched.

“I’m getting there,” Kyle answered.  It was the truth.  It was the most truth he had ever spoken about the subject before.  It wasn’t a lie to try to get someone off his back.  It was the truth because he knew that it was all the other boy needed.

Aaron nodded.  And just like that, there wasn’t anything past that.  There was no pushing for an explanation.  There was no making sure or questioning Kyle’s response.  It was just complete understanding.  It was nice to sit in the quiet cab of the car without having to explain his every action or thought.  It was strange to say, but Aaron was probably the only one Kyle knew who actually understood.

 _“Fuckin’ shut up!”_ the voice screamed in Kyle’s head.  He rubbed at his aching temples. _“Yer nothin’!”_

“Hey,” Aaron’s voice broke through the voices as a hand gently grabbed his wrist.  He jumped at the touch but it was soft, not rough.  It was ready to let go any second even though Kyle didn’t want it to.  Kyle quickly spun his head around and Aaron smiled at him. “Come on, we’re here.”

Aaron opened his door to step out and Kyle looked through the windshield.  They were parked in the driveway of the bungalow he and Stan had stopped to watch before the party at Stark’s pond.  The party where he flipped out and went home way too early.  The party where Stan and Wendy were so plastered that they almost made it all the way, if it weren’t for Bebe interrupting.  Stan was bummed the next day, which wasn’t a good mix with a hangover, but he couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.

“Let’s go!” Aaron called back inside the car before he closed the door.

Kyle quickly unlocked his seatbelt to climb out with his bag.  Kenny stopped his truck on the street a few minutes later.  His rock music was muffled but loud from inside the cab.  Kenny and Stan were singing along as they banged their heads to the beat.

“I take it back,” Aaron said over the top of his car with a smile. “Those two are fucking weird.”

Kyle let himself smile back. “Now that’s the proper explanation of their relationship.”

Aaron stepped inside first to throw his keys into the small bowl next to the door and kicked off his shoes.  Kyle was directly behind him with Stan and Kenny trailing behind.  It was a normal home with photos hanging from the walls and sitting on flat furniture.  A television sat against the left wall.  Immediately to the right was a bedroom, Aaron’s.  Stairs descended next to his bedroom and on the other side was another door to another bedroom.  Across the living room was a large archway into the kitchen and a bathroom could be seen next to the second bedroom’s door.  A few boxes were scattered out of the way with miscellaneous rooms written on the side.  Kyle chuckled at the one that had _Aaron’s Crap_ written on the side.

“Make yourselves at home,” Aaron said as he stepped into his bedroom while removing his sweater.

Kenny immediately took the line to heart.  He kicked off his boots and sunk into the large armchair to sit in it sideways with his legs dangling over the arm.  Stan took his shoes off and walked over to the long haired white and black cat that was laying lazily on the arm of the couch.  Kyle didn’t sit.  He removed his shoes, dropped his bag onto the floor, and started to look around.

He wanted to know everything he could.  He wanted to figure out Aaron and piece together the mysteries he held.  He stood at the top of the stairs looking at a wide photo of three people posing in front of an amusement park.  One of the people Kyle recognized as Aaron.  He was much younger in the photo with a chubbier face and shorter hair, but it was definitely him.  The eyes accompanied by  his signature smile gave him away.  On either side of younger Aaron had to be his parents; a slender woman with long dark blonde hair and a man who looked almost identical to the older Aaron except with more muscle.

A drawer shut from Aaron’s bedroom.  Kyle’s eyes unconsciously shifted at the noise and he could see the reflection of Aaron’s back in the full length mirror set in the corner of the room.  He was stripped down to just his black boxers with small white patterns.  Kyle’s cheeks flushed with heat as he looked over the muscles in Aaron’s shoulder blades and the way the waistband of his boxers dipped down just a bit too low.

“Aaron!” Stan suddenly yelled and Kyle tore his eyes away as Aaron’s reflection moved.

“Yeah?” Aaron poked his head out to ask and gave Kyle a strange look that made the red head quickly spin around and walk away.

“Where’s your dog?” Stan asked.  He was standing and holding the cat in his arms as it rubbed its nose against his chin.  Its purring was like a muffled jet engine in the distance.

“He’s not actually here yet.  Mom wanted to make sure we were all settled in first before we brought him.  We’re going to get him from a family friend who has been watching him once we’re ready,” Aaron explained and then ducked back into his room.

Stan pouted. “It’s awesome that your mom and dad let you have so many pets,” he said.

Aaron made a noise from his room but didn’t say anything.  Kyle was still moving through the room looking at the photos.  They were all of Aaron and his parents.  The three of them at a picnic, Aaron looked about six.  The three of them celebrating one of Aaron’s birthdays, he turned three.  And then there were a few of just Aaron and his mother.  His graduation from middle school.  Him holding a baseball trophy when he was about thirteen.  Kyle narrowed his eyebrows together as he stared at a photo of a sixteen-year-old Aaron sitting in a fire truck with his mother standing beside it looking proud as hell.

Aaron returned with a new change of clothes on and walked over to smack one of Kenny’s feet. “I’m gonna make you a sandwich now,” he said and Kenny whooped loudly. “We can order pizza later for dinner.”

“When do your parents get home?” Kyle turned to ask as Aaron moved towards the kitchen.

“My mom works at the hospital.  She’s a nurse.  Her hours are crazy.  She won’t be home until midnight at the earliest, if we’re lucky,” Aaron answered.

Kyle’s curiosity was peeked.  He felt like he was close to solving a puzzle he didn’t even know he had started.  There was something strangely off. “And your dad?” Kyle pressed.  He couldn’t help it.

Aaron suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.  Stan and Kenny looked at him with wide eyes but Kyle just looked determined.  Aaron slowly turned and sighed. “Alright, I guess it’s time you know my deep dark secret that’ll make you look at me differently and we’ll probably stop being friends,” he said as if he was joking but there was strain in his voice.  That made Kyle’s tense expression relax slightly.  Regret was taking over. “My dad’s dead,” he said and everyone tensed. “He was a firefighter.  He died in a building fire when I was eight.”

“Dude, what the fuck?  Why didn’t you say anything?” Stan asked as he set the cat down on the couch to which it gave a sad mewl in response.

“Because it’s not a big deal, I don’t want it to be a big deal, and I didn’t want that dumb pity look people feel obligated to give even though they didn’t even know my dad,” Aaron explained.  Kyle pressed his lips together tightly.  It was as if Aaron had plucked the words right out of Kyle’s head and finally said them out loud.  Aaron let out a heavy huff and ran his fingers through his hair before he lifted both his hands in front of him. “Okay, look.  I don’t want to be that kid with the dead parent.  I went through that in elementary and middle school.  Even most of my high school career consisted of that.  Here though, I can be—.”

“The sandwich maker,” Kenny cut in.

The mood lightened in the room.  Aaron shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I was thinking more along the lines of _normal_ , but I guess that will work too,” he joked. “So, don’t apologize.  Don’t give me the pity look.  Let’s just hang out.”

Stan shrugged his shoulders.  The initial shock had passed and everyone seemed calm. “Sounds good to me,” he said with a smile.

Kenny nodded. “Yep!  But only if you make me that sandwich!” he yelled.

Aaron rolled his eyes dramatically as he turned back around to disappear into the kitchen.  Kyle frowned.  He had pushed the truth out of Aaron.  The truth he didn’t want to say, but was backed into a corner.

_“Everyone has a past their uncomfortable talking about.”_

He understood because he was living it.

_I’m such an asshole._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check me out on tumblr, lovelies!
> 
> themightypookums.tumblr.com


	3. You're Amazing

Kyle was in awe as he took the final step into the basement of the bungalow.  It had been turned into a giant recreation room with multiple game consoles connected to a large television, a long sectional couch, a dart board that was leaning against the wall momentarily in the corner, and a pool table, all with a small room in the corner where a bathroom and laundry room was.  Aaron’s iguana, Marco, sat in his terrarium next to the stairs.  Stan practically squealed like a girl when he saw it.  Pinecone, Aaron’s hedgehog, was also being taken care of by his family friends with his dog, which was a blow to Stan’s excitement but there was still lots left in him.

“Kyle, take a picture!” Stan said excitedly.  His voice was at a surprisingly high decibel as Aaron carefully placed Marco on his shoulder.  Kyle rolled his eyes with a smile as he dug his phone out of his pocket to take a photo of Stan’s happy expression with the large lizard perched proudly on him. “This thing is so freaking cool!”

Kyle was about to lower his hand when Aaron suddenly stood behind his shoulder, tapped the screen to flip the camera, and held onto Kyle’s wrist. “Say chunky bunny!” he said happily.

Kyle laughed. “Chunky bunny!”

The phone clicked as it took the picture of Kyle and Aaron smiling as they stood ear to ear with each other.  Aaron took a step away as he pushed his fingers through his hair. “Not bad for an introvert,” he joked.  Kyle turned his head to look up with a scowl but he couldn’t seem to muster it when he was met with the other boy’s confident smile.  Kyle’s heart sighed.

 _“Beautiful,”_ he thought and quickly looked away, embarrassed by his own mind against him.

“Ah!  Aaron!  I don’t know what he’s doing!” Stan suddenly shouted in panic.

Aaron turned away from Kyle and laughed. “Stan, calm down.  Just lift your arm.  Not like that!” Aaron yelled and quickly rushed back to Stan’s side.

Kyle smiled down at the new photo on his phone before he clicked the button to put it to sleep and looked up.  He met Kenny’s wide, unblinking eyes.  He smiled but it wasn’t devilish or sinister, it was almost like he was understanding something for the first time after struggling for so long.  Kyle scowled back at Kenny as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned away.

 _“What the hell was that look for?  Weirdo,”_ Kyle thought to himself.

“We are hanging out here from now on,” Stan explained over the loud explosions and gun fire that echoed through the room as he and Aaron played on the game sphere after finally getting Marco safely back into his terrarium.

Kenny was sprawled across the adjacent section of the couch to rest his head on a large pillow as he munched on the sandwich Aaron made.  Stan sat next to him with Aaron on his other side and Kyle sat at the end with his feet up to hug his knees to his chest.  His eyes played the trick that he was watching the game in front of him but his mind had wandered somewhere else.  It was in the bad place that made his temples throb.  Stan suddenly threw his hands up into the air with a cheerful shout as Aaron sputtered his lips in defeat.

“I kicked your ass, Carmichael!” Stan said as he punched Aaron’s shoulder.

“I have not played this in a while.  I am definitely out of practice,” Aaron replied and handed his controller over to Kyle.

“What—?” Kyle started to ask in protest.  He was in a fog from being snapped from his thoughts as he took the controller.

“I’m gonna order pizza.  Keep it warm for me and maybe bring Marsh down a couple pegs,” Aaron explained as he stood and ruffled Kyle’s hair.

The gesture made Kyle’s cheeks warm and his stomach tighten. “I’ll come with you.  I want to see your cat again,” Stan said as he stood and quickly followed Aaron up the stairs.

“Stan has really taken a liking to him,” Kyle explained as he watched the two boys disappear up the stairs.

Kenny shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth and quickly sat up.  He had been surprisingly quiet since entering Aaron’s house but there was something obviously on the tip of his tongue.  He waited until the two taller boys were far out of reach before he shifted across the couch to sit with his legs crossed next to Kyle.  The closeness made Kyle lean away until he was pressed against the arm of the couch.  Kenny’s bold blue eyes stared in small slits.  Kyle felt uncomfortable.  Kenny wasn’t waiting anymore.

“Kenny, what are you—?” Kyle started to ask nervously.

“You have a crush on the new kid,” Kenny said, interrupting Kyle who immediately went red in the face as his eyes widened in panic.

“What?  N—No!  Kenny, that—that’s ridiculous,” Kyle shrieked and coughed to try to clear away the bundle of nerves that had formed in his throat. _“Smooooth, Broflovski.”_

Kenny’s devilish smile returned. “You have a crush on the new kid,” he teased Kyle in a loud voice. “That’s adorable.” Kyle groaned loudly.

“Kenny, stop!” Kyle yelled as he quickly covered Kenny’s mouth. “Shut up, dude!” Kenny’s voice was muffled as he spoke into Kyle’s hand. “What?” Kyle asked.  Kenny rolled his eyes and pressed the tip of his tongue against Kyle’s palm. “Ew!  Dude, that’s gross!”

“What did you expect?  Really?” Kenny asked, his eyebrow lifted slightly as he asked the question.  Kyle scowled. “Anyways, what I said was, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.  He’s an attractive human being.  Definitely a good candidate.  And I’m sure a gentle lover.”

Nothing about what Kenny said surprised Kyle.  Kenny was a very…let’s say, loving person.  He was known to swing whichever way got him the most amount of attention.  He wasn’t a slut or anything, he just enjoyed loving people.  What was weird though was that he always seemed to go back to that one person: Butters.  They couldn’t officially be anything because of Butters’ parents, but it was obvious to everyone there was something there.  That meant that Kenny felt the need to always put himself right in the middle of any possible romance to distract him from his own issues.

“Kyle?” Kenny pressed and mimicked Kyle’s soft, sad expression.

“Kenny, I can’t—,” Kyle started to say and Kenny heard the shake in his voice.

Kenny’s hands clamped down on Kyle’s shoulders to stop him. “Kyle,” Kenny said firmly and Kyle had to blink a few times to force back the tingling sensation in his nose and eyes. “Do not let him win.  He doesn’t get to decide your happiness, remember?” Kyle looked hopeless.  Kenny sighed heavily. “I know you’re worried.  I know he’s in your head, but you can’t let him do that.  We won’t let that happen.” Kyle inhaled heavily and nodded.  Kenny smiled and gave the red head’s shoulders a small squeeze before he moved away.

“You do realize nothing is going to happen, right?  He’s not going to like me like that,” Kyle explained with an exacerbated voice.

“And what makes you so sure about that?” Kenny asked with a grin.  It was that same mischievous grin from before.

“Kyle!” Stan suddenly yelled before Kyle could press a proper answer from Kenny as his heavy footsteps thumped down the stairs. “The cat’s name is Periwinkle.  Aaron named his cat Periwinkle!” Stan explained and reached the bottom of the stairs with the black and white cat cradled in his arms as he laughed manically.  For a moment, Kyle saw his friend revert back to his ten-year-old self.  So much happiness and light in his eyes.

“It’s my mom’s cat!” Aaron shouted down the stairs.

“Its name is Periwinkle!” Stan yelled and his laughing grew louder.

Kenny leaned back towards Kyle again to whisper, “You can’t spend your entire life looking after that fool,” he said and pointed his thumb towards Stan. “You need something else in your life.  Something good for you.”

“Kenny, it’s just a crush.  I’m sure it’ll go away and then we won’t have to ever have his discussion again,” Kyle explained quietly so Stan wouldn’t hear him.

Little did Kyle know though, he was wrong.  So very wrong.

~//~

The days in school were spent always around each other.  Aaron moved so he was always sitting near Kyle in every class.  In History, he sat in the desk behind Kyle and it made the red head nervous.  He felt exposed, like he was always being watched.  Sometimes Aaron would push the eraser of his pencil against tense spots of Kyle’s back when the class was especially boring.  The pressure would make Kyle hiss between his teeth as he tilted his head forward and Aaron would chuckle amusingly.  Aaron’s laugh made Kyle melt.  It was always genuine and hearty.

Outside of school wasn’t much better.  Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Aaron frequently hung out together.  They were usually either at Aaron’s or Stan’s, but mostly at Aaron’s so they could be around his animals which seemed to give Stan a new energy close to that of a young boy.  Kyle didn’t want to have to worry about his overbearing mother looming so he never offered to go to his place and Kenny…well, you know why.

Kyle let out a low groan as he sat back in his chair.  He placed his fingertips against his temples to rub them.  “I hate Spanish,” he groaned and then placed his hands on top of his desk with a smack. “It’s gibberish.  It makes no sense.”

“Is the all knowing Kyle Broflovski finally stumped on something as trivial as Spanish?” Aaron asked with a wide grin as he continued to read his textbook.

“It’s just—It doesn’t make any sense to me,” Kyle groaned. “Where is the pattern?  Where is the consistency?  I just don’t get it.”

“I would say,” the teacher said as she set down Kyle’s quiz from the beginning of the week.  The large red C was like a knife to his gut. “Maybe you could benefit from some tutoring?”

Kyle sighed.  The teacher handed Aaron his test and continued through the rows. “I could tutor you if you wanted,” Aaron spoke up.  Kyle turned his head as Aaron held up his test to reveal the large red A on it.

It was like a knife to Kyle’s chest.  He frowned deeply and quickly looked away. “No, I’m fine,” he grumbled.

Aaron sighed. “Right, your pride.  Okay,” he muttered and Kyle shot him an annoyed sideways glance. “How about this?  I need some help with Algebra.  My grade is good, but not good enough.  If I help you with Spanish, will you help me with Algebra?” Kyle looked down at his test.  He could use the help.  He knew he could.  Something nagged at the back of his head though. “Wow, thanks Aaron,” Aaron started to say mockingly.  Kyle frowned playfully and turned his head back to look at Aaron who was keeping his head forward as he mocked Kyle. “That’s so kind and generous of you.  You’re the best.  What would I ever do without you?”

“Alright, shut up,” Kyle said as he pressed his hand against Aaron’s face.  The brunet laughed and Kyle instinctively smiled. “You have a deal.”

Kyle felt Aaron’s face contort under his hand as he smiled. “Good,” he said and the bell rang to signal the end of third period. “Then we’ll study at your place after school today.”

Aaron stood and Kyle waved him off. “Yeah, yeah, I—,” he said dismissively before he realized what had been said. “Wait!” he called out but Aaron had already gathered his books and was on his way out of the class.  Kyle quickly gathered his things but was far too late to catch up to Aaron. _“What an asshole, inviting himself to my house like that.”_ Kyle was rushing to the locker room when he spotted Stan and Kenny approaching from the opposite direction of the hallway. “Guys!  Do you want to come over to hang out after school today?”

“Sorry dude, date with Wendy tonight,” Stan answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

“I’ve gotta babysit Karen,” Kenny answered and pushed into the locker room with a loud, “Damn Butters!  Nice ass!” to earn a loud screech from the blonde boy inside.  Kenny loved torturing poor Butters.

_“Alone with Aaron.  Oh shit.”_

Kyle had tried hard to never be alone with the brunet.  It had happened a few times and each time ended with Kyle’s face redder than a tomato and Aaron laughing.  Kyle couldn’t keep his head on straight.  He couldn’t stop the invading thoughts.  He couldn’t keep calm.  He couldn’t go through with being alone with the boy.  But even worst, he couldn’t have Aaron over at his house.

“Kyle?” Stan asked as he carefully reached out to place his hand on his friend’s shoulder.  His expression was somber. “Are you okay?  Do we need to go to the counsellor?”

Kyle frowned.  He shook his head. “No, Stan, we don’t need to go to the counsellor,” he replied dryly.

Stan lifted his hand away from his friend’s shoulder in surrender. “I’m just making sure.”

“And I promised you that I would tell you if I needed help.  I don’t intend on breaking that promise anytime soon,” Kyle explained and pushed through the locker room door to step inside the noisy room.  Aaron was standing at his locker fishing through to find his gym clothes.  Kyle inhaled deeply before he marched over to the boy’s side.  He had no other choice. “We should postpone studying,” he said quickly.

Aaron leaned out of his locker to look around the door at the shorter red headed boy.  He smiled.  He always smiled. “No,” he replied so quickly that Kyle’s expression shifted with confusion as he blinked a few time. “The next test is coming up soon so there’s no time to postpone.”

“Then, we should study at your place,” Kyle replied sternly with his arms crossed over his chest.

“We’re always at my place,” Aaron explained and turned his head back towards his locker to dig into his things. “I want to see where you live for a change.”

“You’ve seen where I live,” Kyle replied, his fingers tapping nervously against his arm.

“I’ve seen the outside of where you live.  I want to see where the great and powerful Kyle Broflovski was born and raised,” Aaron said and made sure to flash Kyle a smile.

Kyle exhaled and shook his head. “Look, it’s just—I don’t—,” he started to say, struggling to find his words.

“I’m not worried, Kyle,” Aaron said and Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion but the taller boy didn’t see his expression as he continued to search through his bag. “I’m actually excited to meet your—oh, how did Stan put it—Blackhawk style helicopter mom,” he said teasingly.

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Of course Stan told you,” he muttered.

“Of course.  I’m his super best friend,” Aaron said and looked around his locker door again to wiggle his eyebrows at Kyle.

Kyle scoffed. “In your dreams, Carmichael.  There’s only one person in this world who is Stan’s super best friend and that’s me.  Just like how there’s only one person in this world who is Kyle’s super best friend and that’s Stan,” he explained proudly with his hands on his hips.

Aaron grabbed his locker door and leaned in towards Kyle.  The red head was almost thrown back by the sudden movement.  It caught him completely off guard. “I guess I’m gonna have to take a different position with you then.”

Kyle had no idea why, but the words made him tense.  A strange sensation started in his chest and quickly dropped through his stomach to his crotch.  Aaron chuckled and leaned back to pull his shirt off over his head.  Kyle couldn’t help but let his eyes examine the beautiful beige skin revealed in front of him.  Aaron had small, toned muscles along his arms, over his shoulders, and down his chest and stomach.

_“Yer no one.  Yer never gonna be loved.”_

Kyle felt his stomach twist painfully.  He quickly looked away from the half naked sight in front of him.  Aaron noticed the suddenly shift in Kyle’s demeanour and it made his face contort into worry.  Kyle quickly covered his mouth with his hand, ceasing the bile in his throat as he sped past the taller brunet.  Aaron opened his mouth to call out but Kyle was running towards the bathroom in a panic that couldn’t be stopped.  Aaron’s eyes met with Kenny who reflected the same look of worry.  The blonde gently closed his locker door and followed the red head into the bathroom.

Kenny closed the door behind him with a soft click and flinched at the sound of loud heaving that echoed throughout the bathroom.  Kyle was in the handicap stall.  There was more room in there for him on the floor as he leaned over the toilet, violently heaving his lunch from his stomach.  Kenny quietly opened the stall door to peek inside.  Kyle was hunched over the toilet, his fingers white as they gripped onto anything that kept him as steady as possible.  His body tensed, his shoulders shrugged, and he cried with every heave into the porcelain bowl.  Kenny pressed his back against the tile wall to slide down into a crouch as he gently rubbed Kyle’s tense back.

“Do you need something?” Kenny asked, his voice low and worried.

Kyle slowly shook his head. “No,” he groaned, his voice echoed inside the toilet. “I think—I think I’m done.  I just—,” he stopped and heaved again but nothing came out.

Kenny sighed and moved his hand up Kyle’s back to carefully move his hair out of his face. “Kyle?”

“I’m fine, really, I am,” Kyle said and sat up as he tilted his head back slightly. “I won’t let him win.” Kenny smiled and roughly ruffled Kyle’s hair.  The red head laughed as he moved away from the touch.  Kenny stepped out of the bathroom stall first and waited for Kyle who went for the sink. “You should finish getting ready, Ken.  I just need to get the taste out of my mouth.  Tell the coach I’ll be out as fast as I can.”

Kenny nodded slowly.  He didn’t want to leave his friend but he knew Kyle was nowhere near his breaking point.  A moment of weakness, yes, but he hadn’t broken.  He let the door close behind him and stopped when he noticed Aaron leaning against the wall beside the bathroom.  He was in his gym clothes and his usually happy face was twisted with worry and guilt.

“Is he okay?” Aaron asked as he pushed off the wall to step up to Kenny.

It was strange.  He had stayed outside the bathroom instead of going inside.  It was as if he wanted to be there but he knew he couldn’t step over the line that had not yet been drawn by Kyle.  He knew absolutely nothing, and yet he knew exactly how far to go without pushing Kyle.  Kenny nodded. “He is.  His stomach just isn’t agreeing with him,” he answered with a reassuring smile.

Aaron bit his lip.  Kenny tilted his head slightly. “I’ve—I’ve heard things about him.  Nothing concrete or detailed but I know that something happened.  Last summer, I think?” Aaron asked.  Kenny exhaled slowly through his nose. “Is that—?” Aaron stopped himself and exhaled hard.

“It was…bad, what happened.  It’s not my place to tell you though.  It’s his,” Kenny explained.  Aaron nodded quickly in understanding, shocking Kenny again. “It’s hard for him to trust someone but he’d tell you if you asked.  I know he would.”

Class was rough for Kyle, to say the least.  His stomach churned dangerously on occasion but not enough to make him run for the bathroom.  Kenny kept a close eye on him but anytime Kyle would look at him, he would turn away as if he wasn’t.  It was annoying.  Kyle could feel the worried blue eyes burning holes in the back of his head every time he turned around.  It kept him from noticing the gold eyes that stared just as intensely.

After class, Kyle was getting his bag together at his locker.  He threw it over his shoulder and slammed his locker door shut to turn but stopped as he let out a sharp yelp.  Aaron had been standing behind his locker door and he was too distracted with his own thoughts to realize.

“Holy—jeez dude, you scared me!” Kyle shouted angrily and punched Aaron’s shoulder.

Aaron chuckled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to.  You ready to go?” he asked.

Kyle had completely forgotten.  Studying at his house. _“Ah, shit,”_ he thought to himself.  He wanted to say no.  He wanted to cancel, but there was something stopping him.  A voice deep in the back of his head.  It was growing louder and louder as Aaron stared at him with wide gold eyes.

 _No, maybe another time_ , was what Kyle was ready to say, but instead he answered with, “Yeah, let’s go.”

The relief that washed over Aaron made his face light up brighter than Kyle had thought possible for a human being. “Awesome!” he said excitedly and grabbed Kyle’s wrist to start to lead him out of the school.

The brunet’s hand was so warm.  Kyle wondered if Aaron was ever cold, or if his natural warmth and radiating light just always kept him warm in any weather.  Kyle enjoyed it.  He’d even find himself sitting a little closer to Aaron on colder days in the hopes of being able to steal some of his warmth, but it was never quite close enough.

They crawled into Aaron’s car, sinking into the soft seats as he sped towards Kyle’s house.  Kyle wanted to tell him to slow down but he was becoming more and more aware of the fact that Aaron loved to speed.  He always kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand on the gear shifter, even if he didn’t need to.  He was always relaxed, like driving was the most natural thing to him.  Kyle was a bit jealous.  He wasn’t good at driving, but Aaron was.  He was made for it.  Plus, there was also the looming elephant in the car that only Kyle was aware of.  He always wanted to reach out to the hand on the shifter and slip his fingers between the other boy’s.  It was in his mind every time and made him shift uncomfortably in his seat.

Aaron parked the car on the road in front of Kyle’s house.  Kyle insisted he park in the driveway but Aaron only smiled and assured him that the street was fine.  There was something odd about the way he said it.  There was a small flutter to his voice, almost like he was nervous.  He flew out of the driver’s seat before Kyle could ask anything to quickly jog around the car and stand in the middle of the front lawn.  Kyle shut the passenger side door and gave the car a small pat.  He loved the damn thing.  It was so powerful and strong, just like Aaron.  He blushed. _“Oh shit, come on man, pull it together!”_

“Let’s go!” Aaron ran up to grab Kyle’s wrist to start to pull him towards the house.  Kyle couldn’t help but smile at how excited his friend was.  He grabbed the doorknob to his front door and turned it.

“Kyle!” his mother yelled immediately.  Kyle swore the woman had a GPS chip installed in him as a child because she always knew when he was home.  He could never sneak in on her. “You’re never going to—oh!” Sheila stood in the doorway to the kitchen.  She had stopped when she noticed Kyle enter the house with someone other than Stan or Kenny.  Her eyes were wide at first and then she relaxed and smiled. “Well, such a handsome young man.  You must be Aaron.”

“Ma,” Kyle said in a warning tone that was completely ignored by everyone.  Aaron beamed as he stood just inside the door.  He moved so Kyle could close the door and took off his boots.  When he had them removed, he quickly moved across the room to meet Sheila with an outstretched hand.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Broflovski,” he greeted with genuine happiness.  He was always overly nice, so nothing came across as odd to Kyle.

Kyle tilted his head slightly as he watched the interaction from the door.  Sheila laughed. “Kyle’s right, you are just a darling thing,” she said as she reached up to gently pinch Aaron’s cheek

“Ma!” Kyle shouted in embarrassment.

“He’s told me so much about you, Aaron.  It’s nice to finally meet you as well,” Sheila said and ignored Aaron’s hand to give him a hug.  It was awkward at such a height difference but Aaron dealt with it gracefully. “Also, you may call me Sheila,” the short red headed woman said as she pulled away to place her hands on Aaron’s cheeks. “Would you like something to eat or to drink?”

Aaron’s cheeks smushed under Sheila’s hands as he smiled wider. “No, thank you, Sheila.  I really appreciate it.”

“You’ll let me know if you need something?” Sheila asked, her eyebrow lifted high.

Aaron nodded. “Of course, ma’am.”

Sheila shuttered with a small laugh as she took a step back. “My, you are quite different, Aaron.  Your parents definitely raised a little gentleman.”

Kyle’s smile instantly faded. “Ah, ma—,” he started to protest.

“They definitely tried,” Aaron interrupted, not correcting the mistake Sheila unknowingly made.

Sheila gently patted Aaron’s cheek and then moved around him to face her son. “I have something to tell you, but it can wait until later.  I have to go pick up your brother to take him to hockey practice,” she explained and made her way over to put on her boots and coat. “I’ll bring home dinner,” she said and turned to face Aaron who had turned on his heel to face the mother and son. “Will you be staying for dinner?”

“Um—,” Aaron hummed unknowingly.

“Yeah, we have lots of studying to do,” Kyle piped up with an alarming amount of excitement. _“I have got to calm down.  I am way too excited.”_

Aaron’s lips turned up into a small smile.  Sheila nodded. “Alright, I’ll be back later with food,” she said and kissed Kyle’s cheek. “Behave yourself, boys.”

Kyle stuck his tongue out in disgust as he rubbed his cheek in an attempt to remove any invisible residue left behind.  His mother grabbed her purse and keys and shut the door behind her.  Kyle felt the tension grow thick in the room.  He was alone with Aaron, in his house, not even his mother there to break the feeling.  Aaron stood across the room, his lips turned up into a small smile.  He and Kyle stared at each other before Aaron finally broke.  It was surprising but Aaron seemed nervous once again as he laughed lightly and ran his fingers through his hair.

“I don’t know what you were worried about.  She’s fantastic,” he explained and slid his bag off his shoulder to set it down.

Kyle scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You’ve only met her once.  Just wait until you’ve met her a few times,” he explained.

“Well, at least I know I’m coming back a few more times,” Aaron pointed out and took off his jacket to set it over the back of the couch.  Kyle had to swallow the lump in his throat.  Aaron grabbed his bag to throw it back over his shoulder and faced Kyle with a quirked eyebrow. “Are you going to just stand there or are you going to take your coat and boots off?” Kyle quickly looked down.  He was still wearing his padded green coat and brown boots.  He made a rather unflattering noise and Aaron laughed. “Well, while you do that, I’m going to make myself at home,” he explained as he walked over to the bottom of the stairs that led up to the second floor. “I hope you don’t have anything embarrassing laying out in the open in your room.”

“Wha—Hey!  You don’t even know which room is mine!” Kyle yelled as he quickly rushed to kick off his boots.

“I’m sure I can figure it out!” Aaron called back over his shoulder and disappeared at the top of the stairs.

Kyle groaned and fought to take his coat off.  He made sure to hang it up which was the most annoying thing but he didn’t need his mother tearing him apart about it.  He quickly raced up the stairs to his room and stopped in the doorway.  Aaron was laying on his stomach on Kyle’s bed with his Spanish textbook open in front of him.  He didn’t look up. “Took you long enough.”

Kyle rolled his eyes.  He dropped his bag onto the floor and quickly rummaged inside for his books.  He dropped them down on his desk and turned, his hands perched on his hips.

“Algebra,” he said.  Aaron looked up through his eyelashes without tilting his head.

“Spanish,” Aaron replied with equal sternness in his voice. “You need this more than I do.”

Kyle scowled when Aaron dropped his eyes back down to his textbook. “We should still do Algebra first,” Kyle pressed.  He knew he was being stubborn but for some reason he loved the way Aaron looked at him with such force.

Aaron sighed and lifted his head. “Eres mi todo,” he said and Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Eres terca pero me importas.  Espero que te cuides tambien.” Silence fell over the room.  Kyle couldn’t tell if he was frustrated or impressed. “Do you have any idea what I just said?” Kyle slowly shook his head.  Aaron grinned. “Then grab your Spanish textbook and sit your ass down next to me.

Kyle felt something flutter in his stomach at the way Aaron did that.  It was an order but it was kind. _“God, that was kind of a turn on.”_

“How are you so good at Spanish?” Kyle asked as he quickly spun around.  His hands were shaking.  He prayed that Aaron wouldn’t notice. “Is it actually your mother tongue?” He grabbed his Spanish textbook and notebook before he turned back around.

Aaron chuckled as he shook his head. “No, but I grew up being taught it.  My mother had a friend who spoke it and she loved to teach me,” he explained as Kyle walked over to sit down on the edge of his bed.  He took his time setting his books down and then slid to lay next to Aaron in the same position as him.  He opened his books and Aaron started to work through the words with him.

The words rolled off Aaron’s tongue with ease, like it was second nature to him.  Kyle followed along with intensity as he listened and took notes.  His mind would skip occasionally when their hands would brush together or when Aaron would lean close to him so he could feel his breath pass over his neck and ear, but then he would quickly snap back to listening.  He didn’t even notice an hour had passed of the them focusing diligently on their work until Aaron’s phone suddenly started to ring from his pocket.  He quickly pulled the device out of his pocket to look at the screen.

“My mom,” he said and lifted himself up to his knees. “I’ll be right back.” Kyle laid still as Aaron climbed over him.  He shuttered as the brunet’s hand gently brushed along his lower back in an almost intentional kind of way, but Kyle knew better than to think that way. “Hi mom,” Aaron said with a light tone as he quickly stepped out of the room.  Kyle kept his eyes on his book but couldn’t help listening to Aaron’s voice that echoed into the room from the hallway. “Yeah, I’m at a friend’s house.  Kyle’s.  Yes, that Kyle.” Kyle turned his head slightly.  His brain worked around why he would say that. “Yeah?  No, that’s okay.  I’m having dinner here so it’s fine.  Just wake me up when you get home.” Aaron paused for a moment and then laughed lightly. “I know, it’s just habit.  You’re to blame for it,” he said and Kyle suddenly heard something he hadn’t heard before in the brunet.  Sadness. “I love you too, mom.  I’ll see you later.”

Kyle quickly looked back down at his textbook as the footsteps returned.  Aaron stopped in the doorway.  Kyle fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt as he pretended to read the words in front of him but failed miserably.

“Kyle?” Aaron called out.

Kyle made a small noise in the back of his throat and turned his head to look across the room at his friend.  Aaron’s eyebrow was lifted quizzically.  Kyle knew that look well.  It was the same look his mother gave him when she was about to scold him for something bad he did behind her back.  He was caught.

“I was eavesdropping,” Kyle confessed and twisted a curly lock of hair around his index finger.  Aaron hummed lightly as he walked over and sat backwards in Kyle’s desk chair. “Your mom have to work late again?”

“It’s nothing new,” Aaron said as he spun his chair side to side and stared at the floor. “I can’t blame her.  Being a nurse is…hard.”

“Still, it must suck spending so much time on your own,” Kyle explained.

Aaron smiled. “I don’t really spend a whole lot of time alone, not since you guys came along.  Stan’s obsessed with my animals and Kenny loves my sandwiches too much.”

Kyle laughed and nodded. “Can you blame them?  You literally found the best way to both of their hearts,” he said.

“Still have yet to find yours,” Aaron said as he looked up.  Kyle blushed as his smile disappeared almost instantly from his face.  Aaron laughed and ran his fingers through his hair.  It was a mannerism that Kyle was really starting to enjoy. “Man, you are so easy to make embarrassed.”

Kyle quickly scrambled to his knees to reach back to grab one of his pillows. “Shut up!” he yelled as he whipped it at Aaron.  The brunet laughed and held on to the pillow as he quickly stood and tackled Kyle.  The pillow was pressed to Kyle’s face as he fell back.  He was blinded for a moment before he grabbed the thick down filled pillow to toss it off.  He began to sit up, not realizing Aaron was leaning over him until his nose connected painfully with the brunet’s hard forehead.

“Ah!” Aaron shouted and laughed.

“Fuck,” Kyle groaned as he covered his nose and mouth with his hands and let his head fall back against his mattress.  His stinging eyes were closed to try to force back the small tears as he chuckled.

“Dude, are you alright?” Aaron asked between laughs.

Kyle opened his eyes and froze.  Aaron was still hovering over him.  His chestnut hair fell forward around his face and his gold eyes glowed.  He had a hand placed on both sides of Kyle’s head to keep himself propped up.  One of his knees was beside Kyle and the other was placed strategically between Kyle’s legs so they weren’t touching.  Kyle noticed the distance between them and suddenly craved for it to disappear.  He didn’t want anything between them.  He parted his hands to let them fall against the mattress next to Aaron’s hands and smiled.  Aaron’s smile widened quickly before it disappeared and he looked worried.

“Kyle, your nose is bleeding,” he said in a panic.

Kyle quickly lifted a hand back to his face to touch his fingertip to the cold liquid that slowly formed from his nostril.  He held his hand in front of his face to look at the crimson liquid and blinked.  Blood.  His breath hitched in his throat.  Aaron was quickly off him and Kyle couldn’t help but feel a bit sad they were no longer so close.

“Come on,” Aaron said as he grabbed Kyle’s wrist to pull him off the bed.

Kyle followed him down the hall to the bathroom.  His brain was in a haze.  He was trying to shake away the invading memories to focus on anything else.  The firm grip around his wrist.  The back of broad shoulders.  The gold eyes full of care and worry.  Aaron flipped on the light switch and gave Kyle a quick shove as he pinched his nose that was gradually bleeding more.

“There’s a first aid kit in there,” Kyle said as he pointed to the closet.

“Sit down,” Aaron ordered as he pointed to the bathtub and started to search through the closet.

Kyle walked over and carefully sat down on the edge of the tub as Aaron pulled out the first aid kit his mother always kept well stocked.  Kyle had his head tilted back as he tried to keep the bleeding at bay.  He heard the clatter of the first aid kit being set down beside him and then hands suddenly touched his knees.  He flinched.  His head tilted forward but Aaron quickly grabbed the sides of his head to make him tilt back.

“Keep your head back or you’ll bleed all over yourself,” Aaron said.  He was kneeling between Kyle’s legs and the idea made Kyle’s insides turn.  The first aid kit opened with a click and Aaron rummaged through the items inside. “Okay, tilt your head forward.”

Kyle did so without argument.  Aaron quickly grabbed his hand to remove it and then pressed a thick gauze to his nose.  Aaron held the fabric in place and his other hand cradled the back of his head.  Kyle’s heart thumped hard in his chest.  The tension was back between them but it wasn’t bad.  It was…exhilarating.

“You—You should be a nurse,” Kyle said, hoping to break the thick tension that formed a lump in his throat.

Aaron smiled. “Funny you should say that,” he replied.  His index finger gave a gentle stroke to the back of Kyle’s head and he almost didn’t catch it.

“What?  Are you secretly one?” Kyle asked while trying to keep his nerves at bay from his voice.

Aaron shook his head. “No, but I want to be one,” he said and let his eyes shift down slightly from Kyle’s intense gaze. “I know it’s hard, but my mom has done it for years.  I see what she does, how she helps, and I can’t help but want to do the same.”

Kyle’s eyes slowly narrowed slightly.  Something clicked together in his head. “Is that why you wanted help with Algebra?” he asked and Aaron’s eyes quickly shot back up to his. “You said your grade wasn’t good enough.  You meant for school, right?”

Aaron laughed. “Your mind is impressive,” he said and his hand moved away from the back of his head. “You knew about my father before I told you guys, didn’t you?” he asked quizzically.

Kyle’s shoulders tensed. “I—I didn’t know for sure.  I just saw how he wasn’t in any of your recent photos and you never talked about him, so I thought something had happened.  I didn’t know he died though,” he explained nervously. “I didn’t mean to force it from you.  I’m sorry.”

“No,” Aaron replied with a chuckle as he shook his head. “Kyle, there’s no need to apologize.  It was something I was going to have to tell you guys anyways.  I just—How the hell do you piece that kind of stuff together?”

Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.  My mind, it just works like that sometimes.”

“It’s amazing,” Aaron said and Kyle felt the boy’s hand press to the outside of his thigh.  His breath hitched in his throat.

“I—I want to be a lawyer,” Kyle said, distracting himself from the touch.

“You’d be a great lawyer,” Aaron replied in a low voice.

Kyle blushed. “You think so?” he asked.

Aaron nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely.  You’re amazing.”

_“Yer nothin’!”_

“You’re amazing, Kyle.”

Kyle smiled and lifted his hand.  His fingers gently brushed Aaron’s hair aside.  The touch made the brunet boy’s eyes widen before the corner of his mouth turned up slightly.  The tension was far gone and there was something else Kyle couldn’t quite put his finger on that lingered in its place.


	4. A Mess Like Me

“Do you guys want to order Chinese food?” Aaron asked as he stared at the corkboard full of pinned up takeout menus next to his fridge.

Stan was too busy petting the black and white cat that had fallen absolutely in love with him to answer.  Anytime they came over to Aaron’s, Periwinkle came out of whatever hiding place he was in to immediately find Stan’s lap.  Kyle sat in the stool next to Stan and leaned forward with his elbows on top of the counter.  He was staring.  He knew he was staring, but Kenny wasn’t around to tease him about it and Stan was too occupied with his new love to notice.

Aaron quickly turned and Kyle straightened in his seat.  He cleared his throat loudly as he shoved his hands into his lap. “Yeah, Chinese food sounds great.”

It was Wednesday.  The boys had made it through another boring day of school and elected to hang out at Aaron’s for the night.  Kenny, unfortunately, was stuck with babysitting duty.  He didn’t hate spending the time with his little sister, but he did hate the fact that his parents were still pawning the duty off to him while they went out and got plastered on what little money they had.

“City Wok it is,” Aaron said as he turned back around and plucked the menu off the board.

Keys suddenly jingled from outside the kitchen.  All three boys simultaneously spun around to face the noise.  Periwinkle jumped down from Stan’s lap at the sound of the front door shutting, its soft mewls echoed even after it was out of the room. “Aaron?  Sweetie?  Are you home?” a soft, kind voice carried through the house.

Kyle quickly turned his head back around.  Aaron was grinning wide.  It was mid-November and the boys had managed to go over two months without ever running into Aaron’s mother, until then. “In the kitchen, mom!” Aaron called out as he set the menu down on top of the counter.

The short woman stepped into the kitchen and stopped.  Her dark blonde hair was up in a messy ponytail, mascara was slightly smudged at the corner of her right eye, and she had identical coloured eyes to Aaron’s.  She wore dark blue scrubs with comfortable sneakers and a sweater over top that was a few sizes too big.  Kyle recognized the sweater.  He had seen it in one of the photos in the living room being worn by Aaron’s father.

“Oh my!  There are people here!” the woman exclaimed. “Aaron, there are mysterious people in my kitchen.”

“Yes, there is mother,” Aaron said as he walked over to hug his mother.  It was such a warm hug that Kyle and Stan could feel the love from it even while sitting across the room.

“Are you going to introduce me to the mysterious people?” the woman asked in a whispered tone but loud enough for Kyle and Stan to hear and laugh at.

Aaron let go of his mother.  He wrapped a long arm around her shoulder as he turned to face his friends.  Kyle immediately settled on the fact that Aaron got his height from his father.  His mother was more than a foot shorter than her son.  She could have been the same height as Kyle’s mom, but it was a bit deceptive with how skinny she was.

“Mom, I want you to meet Stan,” Aaron said as he pointed to the raven haired boy who stood from his seat to quickly walk over and shake the woman’s hand. “Stan, this is my mom, Elizabeth.”

“Liz is fine,” the woman said quickly to Stan who smiled and nodded before he took a step back.

“And that is Kyle,” Aaron said and there was something in his tone.

Liz quickly turned her head to look up at her son.  The brunet rolled his eyes as he nodded.  They were having an inaudible conversation with each other that made Kyle feel out of place.  Liz slipped from her son’s arm to quickly walk over and threw her arms around Kyle’s neck.  He almost toppled off the stool from the force that slammed against him.  Aaron closed his eyes as he slowly shook his head in shame.

“It is so nice to meet you, Kyle,” Liz whispered.

Kyle slowly let his hands touch the back of the woman’s shoulders and he laughed gently. “It’s nice to meet you too.” Aaron’s energy definitely came from the woman.

Liz pulled away from the hug and smiled.  She had the same smile as Aaron’s.  It made Kyle feel warm in his chest.  Liz placed her hands on the sides of Kyle’s neck. “Such beautiful eyes,” Liz said and shook her head slightly.

Aaron cleared his throat loudly. “Oh, mother dearest,” he said with a sing-songy voice.

The woman jumped.  She quickly turned and Aaron was giving her a look only she could read properly. “Right!  Motherly duties.  Dinner?” she asked.

“We were going to order from City Wok,” Aaron answered.

“Oh!  That’s fantastic.  Order whatever you want.  Just make sure there’s General Tao’s,” Liz explained.

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Yes ma’am,” he replied teasingly with a smile.

“Go ahead.  I’m going to jump in the shower,” she said and walked over to give Aaron’s cheek a small kiss before she stepped out of the room.

Aaron shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he looked back and forth between Stan and Kyle who had identical amused expressions of their faces. “So, that’s my mom.”

“Dude, she’s freaking awesome,” Stan said with a wide grin.

“Yeah, she’s so chill,” Kyle added.

Aaron smiled sweetly.  Relief rolled off his shoulders.  He removed his hands from his pockets and walked over to pick up the takeout menu off the counter. “So, what do you guys want to eat?”

Kyle admired how different Liz was from most of the other moms he had met.  She was kind and caring and obviously adored her son, but she was also laid back and fun like a friend.  She left to pick up the food and came back with a cake and movies as well.  Also, something Kyle caught on to quickly, she always kissed her son before she left the room he was in.  It was always a quick peck on the cheek but she did it every single time without fail and Aaron never protested.  Even when her hands were full, she still leaned down to kiss him as he met her halfway.

“It looks like Periwinkle has taken a liking to you, Stan,” Liz pointed out as she stabbed a piece of chicken on her plate.

They were all in the living room as an action movie she picked up from the store played on the television.  Stan was sitting on the recliner with the foot rest up.  He held his plate on his lap as Periwinkle curled up next to his feet.  Liz sat in the arm chair across the coffee table from Stan and Kyle sat next to Aaron on the couch.

“Aaron said you have a dog too?  And a hedgehog?” Stan asked, his childish excitement returning.

Liz nodded. “Yeah, we’re going to pick them both up this weekend while we’re in Boulder,” she explained.

Aaron stabbed a piece of chicken on his plate and paused.  Kyle noticed the suddenly unsettling tension in the boy’s shoulder that he quickly shook off as he shoved the food into his mouth.

 “Can—Can I come over when you guys get back?  I’ve never seen a hedgehog before,” Stan asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Liz laughed. “Stan, you boys are allowed here whenever you like.  The door is always open,” she explained with a smile. “You are welcomed here.”

Stan nodded rapidly.  Liz shifted her eyes from Stan to look over at Kyle.  Kyle locked eyes with her and for some reason he felt like there was something more to her words she was trying to get across that he couldn’t understand.

_“This damn family is so cryptic.”_

~//~

Friday, finally.  Kyle sighed into his open locker.  He was looking forward to the weekend even though Aaron was going to be in Boulder for most of it.  The thought made his lips twitch down into a frown slightly.  Neither Aaron nor Liz would say exactly why they were going to Boulder but there was obviously something bothering Aaron about it.  His face flashed with sadness a few times when it was mentioned since Liz brought up going to Boulder on Wednesday night.  Kyle wanted to know why but he was also scared of that sad expression that would form on Aaron’s usually happy face.

“Kyle.” Speak of the devil.  He was standing behind Kyle with his hands shoved into his pockets.

Kyle turned.  He was surprised he didn’t jump at the sound of his name being called out so suddenly.  Aaron no longer startled him but excited him.  He loved hearing his name roll off the brunet’s tongue.  He wondered what it sounded like breathless, with a soft sigh, with a moan, with a—

 _“Back the fuck up!  Alright Broflovski, get it together!”_ Kyle screamed at himself and looked up at Aaron’s worried face. “What’s wrong?”

Aaron opened his mouth but immediately snapped it shut.  His fingers threaded through his messy hair to push it all back.  He was nervous about something.  It was uncommon to see him in such a state.  Kyle enjoyed seeing him nervous, but not like this.

“Okay, promise not to laugh?” Aaron asked.  Kyle’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion and curiosity.  Aaron rolled his eyes. “Just promise.”

“I promise,” Kyle replied in surprise.

“Do you know how to tie a tie?” Aaron suddenly asked.

Kyle tilted his head slightly.  It was so far from what he was expecting that he didn’t know how to respond, except with an actual answer as confusion and curiosity formed strongly on his face. “Yeah, of course I do.  Why?”

“Okay, you see, there’s this thing this weekend.  I’m—um—okay—,” Aaron stopped and his hand went up to run his fingers through his hair again but Kyle quickly reached up to grab his wrist to stop him.

“Aaron, what’s going on?” Kyle asked, worry thick in his tone.

Aaron lowered his hand and Kyle continued to hang on to his wrist without thinking about letting go. “My mom and I are going to a funeral in Boulder.  It’s a funeral for this guy who used to work with my dad.  I know him a bit, not too much though.  Anyways, I just need to know if you can tie my tie before I leave tonight.  The funeral is tomorrow morning but my mom wanted to leave for Boulder tonight when she gets off work so we can spend some time with the wife and—,” Aaron was blabbering bad.

“Aaron,” Kyle said with a small smile as he gave Aaron’s wrist a small squeeze.

Aaron let out a heavy sigh.  His eyes fixed on Kyle.  There was something on the tip of the brunet’s tongue.  Kyle knew he could speak if he wanted to but instead he waited.  Aaron suddenly took a step forward and Kyle let go of his wrist.  There was barely any space between them.

“Kyle, would you—?” Aaron started to ask but stopped himself.  He sighed as he shifted his gaze away.

Kyle rolled his eyes. “You are being the absolute worst to talk to right now,” he explained with a small smile.

“Shut up, this isn’t easy, okay?” Aaron snapped back a bit more harshly than he had anticipated but Kyle didn’t mind it. “I haven’t been to a funeral since—.”

Kyle’s face relaxed as Aaron’s eyes shifted around him. “Since your dad’s?”

Aaron’s eyes finally landed on him.  He frowned. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” Kyle asked.

“Being smart, I hate it.  I can’t hide things from you when you’re smart,” Aaron pouted.

Kyle grinned.  He shrugged his shoulders. “Can’t help it, sorry.  You’re just too easy to read,” he said.

Aaron frantically shook his head. “Never mind, this was stupid,” he muttered as he turned.

“Hey,” Kyle said and quickly grabbed Aaron’s hand.  The soft connection sent a shock through Kyle’s arm.  Aaron quickly spun back around to meet Kyle’s emerald eyes. “What else did you want to ask?”

Aaron swallowed.  He looked away.  He was trying everything to avoid Kyle but that only made the red head tighten grip on his hand so he wouldn’t move. “I know it’s stupid to ask and I’ll understand if you say no, but would you come to Boulder with me?” Aaron asked and closed his eyes. “I don’t do well with this kind of stuff but I think I’d do better if I had a friend with me and—”

“I’ll come,” Kyle interrupted before his brain even had a moment to process the actual question.

Aaron’s eyes opened and he quickly turned his head to look back down at the red head’s smiling face.  Aaron’s eyes widened and his mouth was turned up again in his regular smile. “Really?” he beamed.

Kyle nodded. “I have to check with my mom first, but yeah.  If you want me to go with you, I’ll do it,” he explained. “And that way I can do your tie just before the funeral so it looks nice and fresh.”

Aaron suddenly moved and Kyle wasn’t sure how but he was standing with his hands on the brunet’s biceps as he cupped Kyle’s cheeks to kiss his forehead.  Kyle felt as if his heart was going to leap out his throat.  The kiss was soft and warm and far too brief for Kyle’s liking.  Aaron pulled away and gently ran his thumb under Kyle’s eye.

“Thanks man,” he said and then spun on his heel to turn away and start down the hall. “Now let’s go!”

Kyle was frozen but managed to pull himself out of his daze to quickly grab his bag and slam his locker shut.

“Where are they going?” Stan asked as he watched Kyle quickly catch up to Aaron down the hall.

Kenny’s hand clamped down on Stan’s shoulder as he sighed loudly. “Oh Stanley, I hope someday you will see.”

Stan spun his head around, his eyebrows furrowed together with confusion. “What?  See what?” he asked but Kenny didn’t answer before he walked away with his hands shoved into the pockets of his orange sweater.

Kyle opened the door to his house but didn’t step inside.  He turned around to look back at Aaron who waved across the yard from beside his car.  The red head managed to convince Aaron to go home to pack and wait for his response from there.  His mother would not allow him to go to Boulder without a fight and Kyle didn’t want Aaron to see it if it got a little too out of hand.

“Bubbie, is that you?” Sheila called out from the kitchen.

Kyle carefully took his boots off after shutting the door behind him. “Yeah ma,” he called back and took his coat off to hang it up.  He set his bag down on the floor and made his way to the kitchen where his mother was doing dishes.

“How was school?” his mother asked without looking away from her job.

Kyle walked over to lean against the counter, his hands at his sides to grip the edge. “It was good.  Uneventful,” Kyle answered.  Sheila hummed lightly.  Kyle tapped his fingers against the bottom of the counter’s lip.  He chewed gently on his bottom lip before he decided to just ask.  There was no use dragging it out. “Mom, can I go to Boulder tonight with Aaron and his mom?”

Sheila stopped to turned to face her son. “Whatever for, Bubbie?” she asked both curiously and judgingly.

“Well, they’re going to get Aaron’s pets from a family friend and they—,” Kyle stopped himself.  He griped the counter tightly before he pushed off from it gently and turned to face his mother. “They’re going to a funeral tomorrow and Aaron asked me to be there to support him.”

Sheila stared at Kyle for a moment.  He prepared himself for whatever excuse she would use to say no.  He had every possible response ready to go.  He could see her thoughts moving in her head and then she smiled. “Alright Kyle,” she answered.

Kyle blinked in surprise.  All of the thoughts in his head were cleaned out immediately. “Re—Really?” he asked.

“You are getting older now.  I trust you to be responsible.  Just make sure to keep your phone on you and message me sometimes so I don’t worry,” she explained.

Kyle flung himself forward to throw his arms around his mother in a tight embrace.  Sheila laughed, surprised by her son’s sudden excited demeanor before he bounced out of the room. “Thanks ma!” he called over his shoulder.

**dude, I got the go ahead. gonna start packing now!**

He sent the message through his phone as he climbed the stairs to his room.  He cradled it in his hand as he waited patiently for the response.  It chimed loudly as he stepped into his room.  He stopped with his back pressed against his closed bedroom door to read the message.

**SWEET!  Pick you up at 6!**

Kyle smiled at the glowing screen and pushed off the door to immediately start shoving clothes into a bag.  He packed a set of regular clothes consisting of jeans and a t-shirt, a set of formal clothes of black pants and a dressy sweater with a tie, and a set of pyjamas.  He also threw a book into his bag just in case he would get bored and his travelling toothbrush.  The bag thumped against the floor by the door when Kyle dropped it to head to the dinner table his mother called him to.  He ate far too quickly and his father eyed him from across the table but didn’t ask why he was so excited.

When six o’clock clicked on the clock, Kyle quickly stood at the sound of a car horn honking outside.  He kissed his mom, gave Ike a quick pat on the head, hugged his dad, and then ran out the door with his bag over his shoulder.  The familiar muscle car was parked beside the curb like usual.  The passenger side door swung open and Aaron leaned back in his seat.  Kyle slid into the leather seat and shut the door.

“Ready?” Aaron asked with a smile.

Kyle nodded enthusiastically. “We’re listening to my music this time,” Liz suddenly said from the back seat as she leaned forward between the two front seats. “Your music is lame anyways.”

“Ouch mom, that’s a bit harsh,” Aaron replied and made the car lurch forward.  Liz fumbled to put in her CD she grabbed from the console between Aaron and Kyle’s seat.  Kyle was pleasantly surprised that alternative rock started to play from the burned CD.  Liz sat back in her seat and Aaron looked over at Kyle who was smiling. “It’s tradition,” Aaron spoke up and Kyle gave him a confused look. “We each made a CD with a playlist and take turns on each drive playing a different playlist.  The rules are that no one can criticize the playlist and it can’t be played more than once on a trip.”

Kyle chuckled lightly. “That’s a great idea.  Better than the radio or listening to one person’s crappy taste in music,” he said.

“It was my husband’s idea,” Liz added from the back seat.  Kyle turned in his seat to face the woman who was rubbing her eyes with her knuckles.  She looked exhausted. “He was always good at ideas,” she said and yawned loudly.

“Mom, maybe you should try to sleep a bit,” Aaron said as he quickly peaked at his mother through his rear-view mirror. “There’s lots of time for you to rest your eyes.”

The woman nodded and let her head rest against her arm against the window.  Kyle turned his head back to look over at Aaron who was focused back on the road.  His finger tapped against the gear shifter to the rhythmic beat of the song playing from the speakers in the doors.  Kyle frowned slightly and pressed the side of his face against his seat.

“You’re staring,” Aaron said without looking away from the road.

“Mhm,” Kyle answered with a quiet hum.

“Well, stop it.  You’re making me uncomfortable,” Aaron joked with a smile.  Kyle turned in his seat to sit properly again and rubbed his palms along his jeans.  There was a question lingering on his tongue but he was afraid to ask.  Aaron sighed loudly. “What is it?” Kyle shrugged his shoulders but didn’t respond. “Come on,” Aaron pressed and he reached over to gently ruffle Kyle’s hair. “What’s on your mind?”

“I—I don’t know if I can ask,” Kyle said as he gently shook his head.

Aaron let his fingers run through the edge of Kyle’s hair. “You can ask me anything.  I’ll answer.  I promise.”

Kyle slowly blinked.  The soft touch to his head was sending sparks through his entire body. “Can you…tell me about your dad?” Kyle asked.

Aaron’s hand immediately twitched away from Kyle’s head to rest back on the shifter.  There was a shift in the air but it wasn’t bad.  It was somber but relaxed.  Aaron tightened his grip around the steering wheel as he steadied himself to speak. “He died when I was young, so I don’t remember a whole lot, but what I do remember is happiness.  He was always smiling, always happy.  I remember him never letting me cry.  When I fell off my bike and scraped my knee, he wouldn’t let me cry.  When I came home after my first crush rejected me, he wouldn’t let me cry.  He was always trying to get me and mom to smile.  He never wanted to see us sad,” Aaron explained and loosened his grip on the steering wheel.

“How did he die?” Kyle asked, his voice low.

Aaron inhaled slowly. “It was late at night in the middle of summer.  Mom and I were asleep and he was on call.  An apartment fire.  It was bad.  He rushed over to help.  We never even knew he left until the next morning when the marshal showed up at the door.  There was a family trapped on the sixth level.  My dad rushed back into the building to get them.  He got them out through the window but he couldn’t escape.  Damian Carmichael, hero of Boulder.”

_“Damian?”_

Kyle’s eyes narrowed and he shifted his eyes to the wrist of the hand that rested on the gear shifter.  The two beaded bracelets Aaron always wore were there.  Over the months Kyle had gotten a few good glances at the bracelets but he never thought to ask about them.  One of them had Aaron’s name on it and the other had the name Damian on it.  Kyle knew he should have asked but never got up the courage.  Aaron flinched gently when Kyle’s hand carefully slipped around his arm, just above the bracelets.  Kyle’s fingers stroked at the beads.

“We made them when I was five, I think.  We never took them off except to shower and sleep.  Dad took his off for the night and left in such a hurry he forgot it on his end table,” Aaron explained.  There was a regrettable sadness to his tone that could be heard in the darkness of the car.

Kyle’s grip tightened around his arm and he frowned instinctively. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Hey,” Aaron said and shifted his hand so he could grab Kyle’s.  He kept his attention on the road as he gently stroked his thumb over Kyle’s. “Don’t apologize.  You didn’t know him.  You didn’t do anything.  There’s no reason to apologize.”

Kyle nodded and sniffled loudly.  He rubbed his sleeve against his eyes and then his nose. “I know, I just—I shouldn’t have asked.”

Aaron laughed. “Why?  I’m glad you asked,” he said with a wide smile. “I felt bad dropping the bomb on you guys but you were all so cool about it, it was actually kind of startling.  Then you guys didn’t ask anything.  It was strange.  I actually wanted to tell you guys more, but I didn’t want to come off as the crazy kid with the dead parent.”

“Trust me, that doesn’t make you crazy,” Kyle said and struggled to hold back the small shake in his voice.

“Kyle,” Aaron said and he let go of his hand to reach over and squeeze Kyle’s knee.  The red head’s face turned the same colour as his hair and he was glad for the shadows that filled the cab of the vehicle.  The long fingers gently squeezed and Kyle clamped his bottom lip between his teeth. “Don’t cry, okay?  I don’t ever want to see you cry.”

The urge to want to cry washed away as Aaron’s words wrapped around him inside the cab of the car.  The boy’s hand relaxed on Kyle’s knee but stayed there.  Kyle leaned as far back into his seat as he could.  He was fighting back the thoughts that invaded his mind.

“Are you okay?” Aaron asked after a while.

_“Aside from the need to be taken immediately?  I’m great.”_

Kyle slowly nodded. “Yeah, I’m good,” he answered and Aaron slowly removed his hand, letting his fingertips gently brush along Kyle’s leg.

The rest of the ride was painful for Kyle.  The lower half of his body was on fire.  He struggled to keep up his conversation with Aaron as Liz slept peacefully in the back seat.  The usual two-hour ride was cut down to just under an hour and a half with Aaron’s driving.  When they arrived to park in the driveway of the two-story suburban home, Kyle couldn’t help but gawk at it.  It was at least double the size of his house and even in the dark Kyle could see the clean white panelling and blue shutters on the windows.

“Mom,” Aaron said as he reached back to gently shake the woman awake. “We’re here.  Get up.”

The woman moaned and slowly opened her eyes.  Aaron gave her knee a gentle pat before stepping out of the car.  Kyle followed his lead.  Liz practically fell out of the back seat and stretched her arms over her head.

“Oh, that was a good nap.  I forgot how comfortable that car was.  Nice and spacious.  Good for activities too,” she explained and looked at Aaron with a devilish smile.

“Oh, god, mom!” Aaron yelled loudly in disgust as he reached into the back seat to grab her bag and threw it at her. “That’s gross.  You’re gross.”

The front door to the house suddenly swung open and an older woman with greying brown hair stepped onto the front porch. “Lizzy!” the woman screeched and Liz ran up the path towards the steps to give the woman a tight hug.

Aaron reached back into the back seat of the car and Kyle couldn’t help but drink in the sight of skin as the bottom of his shirt rode up slightly to reveal the low cut of his jeans.

_“You have a dirty, dirty mind Broflovski.”_

Kyle quickly shook his head and looked away.  Aaron slammed the door shut and grabbed Kyle’s hand. “Come on,” the taller boy ordered and started to lead Kyle towards the house.

The older woman quickly ushered everyone inside to shut the door.  Her name was Deborah.  Her and Liz were very close and she would even turn to Aaron occasionally to gently pinch his cheeks as she complimented his height or his eyes or his overall handsomeness.

“This is Kyle,” Liz introduced the awkward teen who had been silently standing off to the side. “He’s Aaron’s…friend.  I hope you don’t mind that he came.”

Deborah shook her head quickly. “Of course not!  Welcome, Kyle,” the woman said brightly in a genuine way that made Kyle relax. “Come, I’ll show you to your rooms and then you’ll have to come back down to meet the family.” Kyle followed closely behind Aaron as Deborah was leading them all up the stairs to the second floor.  She opened the door to Liz’s room first and then opened the door across the hall. “I do apologize but you will have to share a room.  With the family here, there’s a limited amount of space.  I hope you don’t mind.”

Aaron shook his head. “Not at all, thank you,” he said with his signature smile as he stepped inside with Kyle close behind him.

“Well, make yourself at home and whenever you’re ready, come join us in the den,” Deborah said and closed the door behind her as she left.

Kyle chuckled as he set his bag down and sat on the bed. “She’s the wife?” he asked and Aaron nodded with a groan. “She is surprisingly chipper for a woman who just lost her husband.”

Aaron sat down next to Kyle.  The mattress was extremely soft and automatically shifted Aaron close when he settled down. “Deborah’s always been like that,” Aaron said and then flopped onto his back with his arm draped over his eyes. “Al was big on celebrating life and not mourning death.  He always talked about how he wanted a big party when he passed, not a funeral.  Deborah was not for the idea at first, but she quickly warmed up to it.”

Kyle hummed quietly under his breath and laid down next to his friend. “That sounds like a really good way of dealing with it,” he explained.

“Or it’s the perfect way to cover up the denial,” Aaron said.

Kyle turned his head to look at his friend who was still covering most of his face. “Who invited Mr. Pessimistic to the party?” he asked teasingly and jabbed a finger into Aaron’s ribs.

Aaron grunted. “Hey,” he said as he quickly grabbed Kyle’s hand to pin it between them. “Hands to yourself, Mr. Broflovski.”

Kyle laughed and turned his head back to look up at the ceiling.  Aaron didn’t let go of Kyle’s hand and the smaller boy prayed that he wouldn’t.  Aaron’s hand was warm and soft.  He was gently rubbing his thumb over the skin on the back of Kyle’s hand which made the red head imagine threading their fingers together and squeezing tight.

The quiet knock on the door made Aaron quickly sit up.  Their hands disconnected and Kyle felt disappointment.  He slowly sat up as Aaron walked over to the door to open it.  Liz stood on the other side with a smile on her face. “You two having fun?” she asked as she leaned over slightly to peak around Aaron at Kyle who was pushing himself up to his feet.

“Mom,” Aaron growled in a low, warning tone that Liz laughed at.

“Come on, everyone’s waiting.  Let’s go you two.”

The family consisted of five people.  Deborah introduced each of them.  Al’s parents, Deborah’s sister, Al and Deborah’s daughter, and Al’s brother.  They were all just as weirdly energetic and happy as Deborah, with the exception of Al’s brother who was bit more laid back and quiet than the rest.  Kyle sat between Aaron and Liz on a deep couch with a cup of tea cradled between his hands on his lap.  The warmth from the mug was soothing as he listened to the conversations around him.  Harold, Al’s father, was talking to Aaron as his wife, Irene, constantly shouted at him to _stop interrogating the poor boy_.  Liz was deep into a conversation with Deborah and her daughter, Jill.  Al’s brother, Robert, was quiet.  He seemed content just sipping at his beer.

“Excuse me, Kyle, right?” Irene asked and Kyle quickly lifted his head.

“Yes?” he asked in response.

The woman smiled.  The wrinkles on her face deepened. “I’m sorry, but, is that your natural hair colour?” she asked.

Kyle reached a hand up to gently tug at a curly lock. “Yeah,” he answered in a flat tone.

“Why, that is an absolutely beautiful shade of red.  And the curls are incredible.  Don’t you agree, Harold?” Irene said as she jabbed her elbow into her husband’s side.

The man snorted and nodded.  He was falling asleep sitting up.  Kyle felt a happy twinge of pain in his chest.  His hair was the one thing he always hated about himself.  The colour.  The curls.  All of it.  It sucked.  Irene though, she blew all those insecurities out of the water in a matter of seconds.

“I had orange hair.  Ugly as all hell.  It wasn’t curly either, it was perfectly straight.  I looked like I stepped out of a horror movie,” Irene explained and Kyle couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Oh, you looked beautiful darling.  How else did you get me?” Harold said loudly.  He obviously struggled with his hearing.

“Because you have low standards, Harold.  Remember, you weren’t much to look at either,” Irene said and Kyle’s shoulders shrugged as he laughed. “That is the key to love, Kyle.  Find someone with the same issues as you.  If you’re ugly, find someone uglier.  If you snore, find someone who snores louder.”

Kyle nodded in understanding. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied and turned his head when Aaron’s knee gently knocked against his.  The brunet smiled and Kyle mirrored it back before he lifted his mug to take a long sip.

Everyone retired to their rooms when it started to get late except for Liz, Deborah, and Jill who stayed up gossiping.  Kyle wanted to stay awake but when he couldn’t stop yawning, Aaron gave his knee a solid pat before he stood. “Let’s go,” he ordered as he turned away.

“Good night you two!” Liz called out after the two boys as they exited the room to climb the stairs.

“I’ll change in the bathroom,” Kyle said as he picked up his bag.

“Why?” Aaron asked as he lifted his bag onto the bed. “We change in the locker room all the time.  This isn’t any different.”

 _“It’s completely different!”_ Kyle nodded. “I guess so,” he replied in a small mutter.

He set his bag down on the arm chair in the corner and unzipped it.  He laid out his clothes he had put together for the funeral and laid it over the arm of the chair.  The entire time he kept his back turned to the middle of the room where Aaron was.  It was the easiest way to avoid any sort of disaster as they changed.  He changed his shirt first and then his pants, never removing his boxers.  When he turned, Aaron was in grey pyjama bottoms with no shirt.  The brunet tossed his bag aside and met Kyle’s gaze.

“I don’t sleep with a shirt on.  It’s constricting.  That okay?” he asked.

Kyle cleared his throat and nodded.  He didn’t even bother speaking as he quickly walked over to the bed and lifted the covers to climb under.  He laid on his back and shifted his eyes to the side to watch as Aaron carefully worked at removing the bracelets from his wrist.  The first one released with ease but the second was proving difficult.  Kyle didn’t wait for long before he sat up and held his hand out.

“Here, just let me do it,” he ordered.

Aaron rolled his eyes dramatically. “Yes sir,” he said and shifted to kneel on the bed as he offered his hand to Kyle.  The bracelet released easily and Kyle laid it in Aaron’s palm as he let his fingertips brush gently against the boy’s skin. “Thanks,” Aaron said in a low voice.

Kyle smiled. “It’s no problem,” he said and then laid back down with his back facing the middle of the bed.

Aaron set the bracelet on the end table before he shifted under the blankets.  The lamp snapped off and silence took over the dark room.  Kyle looked over his shoulder carefully once his eyes adjusted to the new darkness and noticed Aaron slept on his stomach as he hugged the large pillows to his face.  His head was facing away so Kyle couldn’t quite tell if he was awake or asleep.  He couldn’t see that Kyle examined him and every curve of his body until he couldn’t hold back the overflowing thoughts in his head.  He rolled his head back and squeezed his eyes shut to try to push the thoughts out.  He wasn’t sure if he’d sleep at all, especially with the thoughts rolling through his head that created a problem in his lower extremities.

_“Dirty, dirty mind Broflovski."_


	5. You Are Everything

Kyle sighed.  Soft touches moved along his chest from his stomach up to his neck, chasing away the remnants of his dreams filled with images he couldn’t remember.  Warmth was pressed to his back.  He was slowly coming out of his sleep in a thick haze.  The soft sheets on top of him were different than what he was used to.  Then he remembered, he wasn’t at home.  He wasn’t in his bed.  He had left South Park.  He was in Boulder, in some random woman’s house he didn’t know.  Then he felt the warmth behind him shift, warm air ghosted over the back of his neck, and reality suddenly came snapping back to him.

_“Wait…”_

Kyle’s eyes snapped open.  The fog blew away.  He slowly lowered his head to see the long, beige arm laying over his torso as the hand rested on his shoulder.  Another arm was under the pillow under his head.  Against his back he could feel the solid muscles and warmth of a chest that rose and fell with each heavy breath blown across the back of his neck.

“Mm,” the body moaned.

Kyle’s face burned and he had to keep himself from panicking.  Aaron was still asleep.  He could get away but he had to be careful.  He slipped out of the sleepy grip on him to stand next to the bed with a soft, relieved sigh.  He had successfully made it out of the bed but Aaron whined quietly in his sleep at the loss of contact as he rolled onto his stomach to hug the pillow to his face again.  He was spread across the bed from corner to corner and Kyle couldn’t help but smile.

“Beautiful.”

He froze when he realized it was out loud and not in his mind.  He quickly stepped away from the bed and stood at the armchair.  Frantically, he changed from his pyjamas to the dress pants, collared shirt, tie, and sweater he had waiting for him.  He grabbed his toothbrush before he quietly stepped to the door to open it and almost screamed.  Liz was standing in a short black dress with her hair up and her makeup on as she had her hand up ready to knock on the door.

“Oh!  Kyle!  You’re already up and dressed?” she asked in surprise.

“I—I’m an early riser,” Kyle said in a low voice which was a complete and utter lie. “I was trying not to wake him up.”

Liz laughed as she shook her head. “Oh trust me, it takes quite a bit to wake him up.  He’s notorious for sleeping through his alarms so he must make sure he has two or three going off at the same time.  Don’t worry, I’ve got this.  You finish getting ready and go get some breakfast from downstairs.”

Liz stepped past Kyle and he shuffled out of the room to the bathroom.  He was searching for toothpaste in the drawers when he suddenly heard Aaron yell, “Fuck!  Mom!  Holy—really?!” followed by a loud roar of laughter from Liz.

Kyle chuckled as he slowly shook his head.  He found the toothpaste to brush his teeth diligently.  When he was done he returned to the room, unaware of the fact that he should have knocked first before he entered as he was in such a heavy trance feeling the phantom touches he woke to.  Aaron quickly turned his head when the door opened.  He had his shirt and his pants on but neither were done up which meant Kyle could see the dark blue boxer-briefs that the brunet wore underneath.

“Ah, sorry,” Kyle said with a quick shake of his head as he started to back out of the room.

“Dude, come on, I need your help with the tie, remember?” Aaron said as he held up the fabric.

Kyle nodded and quickly stepped back into the room to close the door behind him.  His heart was on the verge of leaping out of his throat.  Aaron dropped the tie back on the bed and continued to dress himself.  Kyle walked over to his bag in the corner and shoved his toothbrush inside in the hopes that if he stalled enough that he would calm his nerves.

_“You can do this, Broflovski.  Pull your shit together.”_

Kyle quickly spun around and walked over to the end of the bed to pick up the tie.  On the one side it was black but on the other it had a funky print on it with what looked like dinosaurs.  Kyle snorted. “What the hell is this?” he asked.

Aaron turned while finishing with the last few buttons on his shirt. “It’s my tie,” he said and Kyle’s eyebrow lifted as he faced the patterned side towards the taller boy. “What?  It’s reversible.  Good for many occasions.”

“It is the mullet of ties,” Kyle replied blankly.

Aaron gasped dramatically. “How rude,” he teased with a smile.  Kyle rolled his eyes.  He dropped the tie back on the bed and reached up to grab his own tie that was secured tightly around his neck.  Aaron’s eyebrows furrowed together. “What are you doing?”

“You’re not wearing that.  I cannot in good conscious let you wear that tie, so you’ll wear mine,” Kyle explained as he pulled his tie off to wrap it around Aaron’s neck. “My outfit doesn’t need a tie.  Yours on the other hand, it does or you’ll look like you hopped off a catalogue.”

Aaron grinned as Kyle worked at making the tie knot. “Is that such a bad thing?” Aaron joked.

Kyle looked up through his lashes briefly before returning to his task at hand. “No,” he answered in a low voice.

Aaron hummed triumphantly.  Kyle couldn’t help but grin as he continued to work to finish the knot.  It was harder to do on someone else, especially when that someone was making his hands shake just by being there, but he did it.  He tightened the fabric and rolled the collar of Aaron’s shirt down over it.

“There, all done,” Kyle said as he took a step back with his hands on his hips to admire his handy work.

“It feels weird,” Aaron said as he fidgeted with the piece of material.

“It will, but you’ll get used to it,” Kyle explained.

Aaron let go of it and reached out to put his hand on Kyle’s shoulder.  Kyle’s body froze rigidly as Aaron leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” he said quietly into Kyle’s ear.  The warmth of his breath passing over his skin made him shutter.  He remembered how he woke to that breath on the back of his neck.  Aaron grabbed his jacket off the bed and stepped around Kyle to the door. “Now, let’s get some breakfast.”

Everyone gathered in the kitchen to munch on pastries and fruit.  Kyle was happy to sit between Liz and Irene as he munched on a muffin.  His stomach was twisted into too many knots to eat much.  Aaron was moving around the kitchen with Deborah setting out food and cleaning up as they went.  The small boombox on the counter was playing quiet music when an old timey jazz song suddenly came on.

“Oh!  Al loved songs like this!” Deborah exclaimed loudly as she quickly spun around to turn up the volume. “Aaron, darling, dance with me?”

Aaron set down the tray he was holding on to and reached his hand out towards the older woman.  When she took his offering hand, he slowly spun her around, earning a happy laugh from the woman before they stood close to each other as they gently swayed to the music.  Harold took his wife’s hand to dance with her.  Robert excused himself from the entire situation as Jill stood to the side watching.  Kyle enjoyed watching the two couples dancing.  All the funerals he had ever been to were quiet, somber.  He hated them.  They were the worst, but this one was different.  Everyone was happy and enjoying the day rather than sulking in their own misery.

“Come on Kyle,” Liz suddenly spoke up as she slipped out of the breakfast nook.

“Oh, no, no, I’m—,” Kyle protested but Liz grabbed his hand and dragged him off the bench.  He quickly dropped his muffin and faced the older woman with slightly pinked cheeks. “I—I don’t know how to dance.”

Liz smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you,” she said as she took Kyle’s hands to place them where they needed to be. “It’s all about rhythm.”

Kyle laughed. “I’m Jewish, I don’t have rhythm,” he said and Liz started to move.  He followed along, focusing hard on not stepping on her feet.

“Nonsense, the Jewish people are some of the best dancers, with the exception of Paula Abdul,” Liz joked and Kyle laughed. “But it’s not about being able to dance, it’s all about having the right partner to dance with.”

Deborah let out a loud laugh when Aaron dipped her backwards slightly and she gave his chest a small smack.  Kyle quickly dulled the smile that flashed across his face as he turned his attention back to Liz.  She was smiling wide.  The same kind of smile Kenny would have sometimes that made Kyle suspicious.  Something mischievous was playing in her mind.  Kyle ignored the smile to keep his attention on his feet as he stepped with Liz.  His focus was so strong that he didn’t comprehend when he heard Deborah yell, “Switch!”

Liz suddenly threw Kyle and he stumbled until he hit a solid chest.  He took a step back and looked up at Aaron who smiled down at him. “Might as well go with it,” he said as he offered his hands towards Kyle.

The red head slowly smiled and took his friend’s hand.  Aaron led the slow-moving dance and Kyle wasn’t focused on his feet.  He was focused on the careful movements Aaron made.  He was focused on Aaron’s hand holding his and his other hand on his side.  The music filled the room and suddenly everything around them melted away.  It was just the two of them dancing to the music.

The funeral was less lively than the rest of the time Kyle had spent in Boulder.  He kept quiet and stuck mostly to Aaron and Liz through the moments of silence and tearful remembrance of a man he didn’t know.  When the service was done, everyone gathered in a large room with dark walls and ugly carpet.  Kyle held on to a cup of water with one hand and a finger sandwich in the other.  The knots in his stomach still hadn’t gone away enough for him to eat anything proper.  Aaron had excused himself to the bathroom with a small pat on Kyle’s shoulder.  Which meant the red head was alone in a room full of people he didn’t know.  He decided to move around the room to stretch his legs that grew weary sitting through the service as the pastor spoke.  He made his way to the large doors that led out into the hall and heard familiar voices speaking on the other side.  Liz and Deborah were standing in the hall leaning against the wall with small cups of tea in their hands.

“—so much for being here,” Deborah said in a low voice.

“Of course.  You were there for me when Damian died.  It’s the least I could do,” Liz replied caringly.

Kyle rested his back against the wall and took a bite of his sandwich.  He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop but he couldn’t help it.

“How are you two doing?” Deborah asked, care and worry in her tone.

“We’re both doing well,” Liz answered. “Aaron, he’s the best I’ve ever seen since we moved.  Not to say that Boulder was bad for him, it was all just wearing him down.  He was constantly being haunted by memories.  I worried for his mental health for a while there.  He just seemed so…depressed.”

Kyle couldn’t imagine the Aaron that Liz spoke of.  He couldn’t imagine Aaron in any other way than smiling and laughing and making jokes every two seconds.  It made his heart ache thinking of Aaron as anything but the happy-go-lucky person he had been since he moved to South Park.

“Do you think it has anything to do with his dear friend, Kyle?” Deborah asked and Kyle’s head quickly turned at the sound of his name.

Liz exhaled softly. “I’ve never seen him so fixated on someone before,” she explained with a cheerful tone that made the corner of Kyle’s lips turn up slightly. “He’s always talking about Kyle.  He truly cares about the boy.”

Kyle suddenly felt breathless.  His chest was tight.  He had to set his cup and sandwich down on the small table beside him to keep from dropping them. “He’s such a sweet young boy, I can see why Aaron likes him.  But, how do you feel about it?”

Kyle held his breath. “I like Kyle, he is a very nice boy.  He makes Aaron happy.  I just worry about the potential to be hurt if Kyle doesn’t feel the same way.” Kyle felt unreasonably angry at that.  He wanted to interrupt the conversation but he knew he couldn’t move from where he stood. “Aaron can’t take anymore heartache.  When he lost his father, he lost a large piece of his heart.  He needs someone who will replace that piece, not risk taking another.”

“Hey,” Aaron suddenly called out over the chatter as he slipped between two people to get to Kyle.  Kyle’s heart pounded in his ears. “Are you okay?  You look like you’ve seen a ghost, which is probably not the greatest thing to say in a place like this.”

Kyle cleared his throat and shook his head. “I’m fine,” he said and started to grin like an idiot.

Aaron was thrown off by the sudden look on Kyle’s face.  He stepped forward to invade the red head’s space and leaned in as closely as he could with his hands shoved into the pockets of his dress pants. “You’re at a wake, Kyle, at least try to look sad,” Aaron said and brought his hand up to gently brush Kyle’s cheek with his fingers.  Kyle instinctively leaned into the touch. “We’re almost done here.  I promise.”

He wasn’t wrong.  They only stayed for another twenty minutes before they all piled into the van and headed back to Deborah’s house.  Aaron’s tie was off the moment he got inside the van.  He untied it to let it hang loosely around his neck and unbuttoned the top few buttons on his shirt as he leaned back in the back row of the van.

“I’m proud of you,” Liz turned in the middle row to say to her son with a small smile. “I thought you would have lost that thing long ago,” she teased.

“I couldn’t ruin Kyle’s handiwork,” Aaron replied as he ruffled Kyle’s hair.  The touch sent shocks through Kyle’s scalp.  Liz’s smile widened a bit more as she turned around.  Aaron chuckled quietly and turned his head to see Kyle with his eyes closed as he leaned his head forward slightly. “Hey, are you alright?” Aaron asked and gently brushed his hand against Kyle’s cheek.

It was the touch that made Kyle’s eyes close but his tiredness was also a factor in why he couldn’t keep his head up. “I’m just tired,” he explained as he rubbed one of his eyes.

“It’ll take us a bit to get back to Deb’s.  Why don’t you shut your eyes?” Aaron explained.

Kyle hummed lightly. “It’s not a very comfortable place to have a nap,” he mentioned with his nose crinkled up slightly.

“Use me,” Aaron offered.  Kyle looked at his friend with curious eyes. “You can lean against me.  I don’t mind.” Kyle contemplated the idea.  On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to press against Aaron, but on the other, his mother’s worried voice resonated in his mind.  Aaron rolled his eyes. “Stop worrying, Broflovski.  Just get some sleep, alright?”

Kyle scoffed as he nodded.  He was careful to press himself with his back against Aaron’s torso, his head resting against the brunet’s arm that stretched across the top of the seat, and closed his eyes.  It wasn’t long before his exhaustion took over with the warmth of Aaron’s body and he was fast asleep.

The van was moving through the streets towards Deborah’s when Liz turned slightly in her seat.  Over her shoulder she watched as Aaron gently pushed some of Kyle’s loose hairs from his sleeping face.  It was a small and intimate gesture that made Liz sigh softly.  Regardless of her fears, there was nothing to stop the inevitable bond that had formed between the two boys.

Kyle woke just as the van pulled into the driveway at Deborah’s.  Aaron had dozed off but was wide awake when the door slid open and he could bail out.  He practically ran up the stairs to change out of his suit.  They didn’t spend much time at Deborah’s before they gathered their things and were back in Aaron’s car.  It was obvious that Liz didn’t want to leave, but she wasn’t given much time off from work so they had to be back in South Park that night.  Aaron drove the car a few blocks before he stopped out front of another two-story suburban house.

_“Please, not another funeral.”_

“Wait here,” Aaron said to Kyle and slid out of the car with Liz.

They both walked up to the house side by side and knocked.  Kyle watched curiously as the door opened and they stepped into the doorway.  He was getting impatient watching the cracked open door that Aaron and his mother disappeared behind.  They were taking a while and hadn’t exactly told him what they were doing there.  He stood next to the car as he stretched his arms above his head, waiting for the two to return.  It was the first real fresh air all day and it felt good in his lungs.

“Winston!” Kyle suddenly heard Aaron yell from inside the house.  It was a panicked scream that made Kyle quickly lift his head to see a large Bernese mountain dog galloping out of the house towards him.  He wasn’t sure what to do.  The dog was moving fast and Kyle only thought to press his back against the car as hard as he could.  The dog was huge and at the speed he was at, Kyle was in trouble. “Winston, heel!”

The dog slid to a halt and panted, its tongue hung out of its mouth as it stared up at Kyle with large, playful eyes.  Kyle chuckled quietly and reached out to gently scratch the side of the dog’s face. “Oh, Stan’s gonna love you,” he said as Aaron ran across the front lawn to pant heavily next to the horse-sized canine.

“Sorry, Winston doesn’t realize he’s basically a behemoth,” Aaron said as he walked over to open the door to the back seat. “Come on buddy, inside,” he coaxed the large dog into the car.  The canine followed his master’s command into the car so Aaron could close the door.

“Winston?  You do realize that Stan is going to rip you apart for that,” Kyle teased.

Aaron sighed loudly. “I know.  I can already hear him in my head,” he explained.

Liz called back to the man standing inside the house as she stepped off the porch with a cage in her arms.  She bounded across the grass so Aaron opened the back door again for her to slide inside next to Winston.

“Ready to go home?” Aaron turned to ask Kyle.

Kyle gently smiled and nodded.  It hadn’t been the worst day, but he was ready for the comfort of his own bed.  The sun set just after they pulled out of Boulder.  Liz fell asleep in the back seat again with Winston’s head on her lap.  The car was quiet except for the playlist that Liz had let Kyle pick from the selection in the centre console.  Aaron tapped his fingers against the gear shifter along to the acoustic style song playing through the speakers.  It was a strange genre compared to the others in the centre console and it immediately caught the red head’s attention.  Kyle felt antsy in the silence.  He was shifting in his seat uncomfortably.  The conversation he eavesdropped on between Liz and Deborah was stuck playing in his mind because there was nothing else to occupy it.

_“Is it true?  Does he like me?  Does he…feel the same?”_

Kyle moved his eyes to look at the other boy’s fidgeting hand.  There was still so much that Kyle didn’t know, but he did know that his answers wouldn’t come unless he did something.  And with a ceased half breath, he decided he had enough.  He lifted his hand and gently placed it on Aaron’s arm to slowly grab his hand.  Aaron looked down at their hands, back at the road, then over at Kyle who was staring out the side window to keep the taller boy from seeing his wide smile or rose-coloured cheeks.

“Are—Are you okay?” Aaron asked worriedly and turned his attention back to the road.

Kyle nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he answered but didn’t let go of Aaron’s hand and Aaron didn’t pull away.  Their warm palms pressed together as they rested their elbows side by side on the centre console.  They didn’t speak for the rest of the ride and Kyle appreciated the quiet.  It was peaceful and he didn’t want it to end.  But it had to when Aaron stopped the car in front of Kyle’s house and let go of the smaller boy’s hand to put the car in park.  Aaron started to turn his head but stopped when Kyle leaned over the console to kiss him gently on the cheek. “Good night, Aaron.  I’ll see you Monday.”

Aaron was frozen as Kyle grabbed his bag and slid out of the car.  He managed to turn his head to watch Kyle quickly jog across his yard to the front porch and ducked inside the front door of his house. “I saw that,” Liz said from the back seat and startled Aaron.  She smiled visibly when she saw her son jump in his seat.

“Mom, don’t—,” Aaron started to say with a heavy sigh.

“Tell him how you feel, Aaron.  You need to tell him,” Liz said as Aaron pulled the car away from the curb. “I didn’t wait for your father to tell me.  I told him first.  You should know before anyone else how important it is to tell people how you feel about them.  To not let them slip through your fingers.”

“Mom, please—.”

“Aaron,” Liz said as she reached her hand out to gently squeeze her son’s shoulder. “I know I was harsh with you before about the possibility of having your heart broken, but I was wrong.  You can’t worry about that.  You deserve all the happiness in the world.  But you have to decide what that happiness is though.  If it’s him, then you need to hold on to it with everything you’ve got.” Aaron tilted his head to rub his cheek against his mother’s hand. “I love you, kiddo.  Please, just remember you’re allowed to be happy.”

~//~

Monday arrived and Kyle felt both excited and nervous at the same time.  Kenny picked him and Stan up to take them both to school and he couldn’t stop thinking about the car ride home from Boulder all morning.  It had been a spontaneous thing that he did but he didn’t regret it.  He slid in to the middle and Stan sat next to him to shut the door behind him.

“You two wanna play hooky today?” Kenny asked with a wide, toothy grin.

“No, Kenny,” Kyle replied with a small shake of his head. “You shouldn’t be skipping class either.  You’ve already got yourself in enough trouble and it’s only been a few months of what is supposed to be our final year of high school.”

Kenny laughed proudly. “Yeah, I have,” he said and Kyle rolled his eyes, knowing that his friend only listened to part of what he said.

Kyle opened his locker to toss his bag inside when Kenny and Stan had left him.  He quickly grabbed his books and lifted his head slightly.  The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.  He quickly spun around and Aaron’s back immediately straightened.  His eyebrows furrowed together.

“Did you know I was behind you?” he asked with curiosity.

Kyle grinned. “I’m starting to get used to you, Mr. Carmichael,” he replied smugly and turned to push his locker door shut before he started in the direction of the classroom.

“Mr. Carmichael?” Aaron asked as he quickly caught up to Kyle.

Kyle scrunched his nose up slightly. “I like it.  It’s a nice last name,” he said and Aaron quickly stepped in front of him before he turned into the classroom.

“Well, if that’s the case then you can have it,” Aaron said with a sharp grin before he quickly ducked into the classroom.

Kyle hugged his books tightly to his chest as he tried to gather his senses.  The entire day was full of moments like that.  Words that made Kyle blush and take a second to catch his breath and gentle touches that lit fires on Kyle’s skin.  He wanted to take about the ride from Boulder.  He wanted to talk about what he heard Aaron’s mother say.  He wanted to pour it all out but there was no time.

The day flew by too quickly.  Kyle barely had time to breathe before he was standing in gym class.  They were playing basketball; Kyle’s favourite game, despite his build.  He made up for his lack of height with lots of enthusiasm.  The teacher put him on the same team as Stan while Kenny and Aaron were put on the opposite team.  Kyle rolled his eyes when Aaron and Kenny high fived and then smacked each other’s asses enthusiastically.  The happy moment was almost completely wiped away when Kyle realized that also on the other team was Cartman.  He made a big scene when the teacher had said they were going to play basketball, but the taller man didn’t budge.  Cartman was forced to participate or detention.

Kyle wouldn’t let the fatass ruin his favourite game, not today.  He was in too good of a mood.  He stretched his arm above his head as he stood in position on the offense. “Well, Broflovski?” Aaron asked as he stepped up in front of Kyle.

_“Oh no, please no.”_

“Let’s see what you got, short stuff,” Aaron teased his friend.

Kyle smiled wildly. “You have no god damn idea what you’re up against, Carmichael,” he replied arrogantly and made Aaron chuckle.

Kyle quickly realized when he was tossed the ball after Stan grabbed the jump that Aaron was a lot faster than he looked.  He wasn’t faster than Kyle though.  The red head dodged through the players to sink the ball into the basket and skipped back to where Aaron was shaking his head with a soft laugh.

“Told you,” Kyle sang as he hopped by his friend.  Kenny grinned wildly from across the courtyard and Kyle noticed. “Shut up, Kenny!” he shouted.  Kenny stuck his tongue out in response.

“Boys!  Let’s go!  There’s a game going on here!” the teacher yelled from the sidelines.

The game continued and Kyle was thoroughly enjoying himself.  He lost himself in the fun he was having surrounded by his friends.  He was tired and sweaty but it didn’t matter.  He tried to stay away from Aaron but there was still the occasional brush.  Kyle’s back against Aaron’s chest.  Aaron’s hand pressed to Kyle’s shoulder.  There was even a moment when Aaron had taken one step too many and Kyle was thrown off balance so the brunet reached without thinking to press his hand against the red head’s lower back.  It was a moment broken too quickly when Stan intervened to take the ball and Aaron chased after him.  Kyle was having too much fun to notice anything else, and then he slammed into the solid body of the last person he wanted to collide with.  Cartman.  It felt like slamming into a brick wall.  Kyle’s throat constricted when he caught his balance and realized what happened.  He tried to take a step back, to get away, but Cartman had a tight grip around his wrist.

“Where ya goin’ Kahl?” Cartman drawled.

“Le—Let go of me, Cartman,” Kyle ordered with a shaky voice.

“C’mon, fag, ya want me ta finish what I started,” Cartman growled in a low voice.

Kyle flinched as Cartman’s hand tightened around his wrist, his fingers dug into his flesh.  Kenny was the first one to notice the two boys at the corner of the courtyard where no one was paying attention. “Fuck!” he growled and started to run towards Kyle and Cartman.

“Kenny?” Aaron called out curiously as his friend ran by him and then turned to see what Kenny was running towards.

“Cartman!” Kenny yelled angrily and Cartman quickly let go of Kyle before the dirty blonde-haired boy impacted with him.  Kenny pushed Cartman against the wall to hold him by the throat.  The fat brunet loudly gasped for air as Kenny quickly turned his head to look at Kyle before turning his attention to Aaron. “Get Kyle out of here!”

Aaron stopped and looked at the red hair whose hands were tangled into his locks with his eyes squeezed shut.  He was hunched over, his shoulders shaking violently. _“Yer nothin’!”_ Kyle gripped his hair tightly in his fingers when he felt a strong arm wrap around his waist from behind.  His eyes opened wide as he was spun around and the arm stayed around his waist as they quickly shuffled out of the gymnasium, leaving the loud quarreling behind them between all the classmates and the teacher who was ineffectively trying to stop it all.

“Breathe, Kyle,” Aaron whispered and let the gym door slam shut behind them. “Please, just try to breathe.”

 _“No, I don’t want you to see me like this,”_ Kyle thought to himself but couldn’t wrap his mouth around the words as Aaron continued to lead him down the hall.

_“C’mon, less play a game, Kahl.”_

Kyle let his hands leave his hair to shove Aaron away. “Don’t touch me!” he yelled and panted heavily as he stared at Aaron’s stoic expression.  Kyle started to shake again. “I—I don’t—I didn’t—,” he stuttered panickily as small tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Where do you want to go?” Aaron asked.  Kyle looked at him with wide, wet confused eyes. “Where do you want to go?  Anywhere that you want.”

Kyle made a small hiccupping noise before he sighed.  He was still shaking. “St—Stark’s Pond,” he answered in a low voice.

Aaron nodded. “Alright, let’s go,” he said as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts and turned away to take a few steps down the hall.

“But—!” Kyle yelled, wiping his cheeks to remove the trail of tears.  Aaron stopped to turn his head to look over his shoulder. “What about class?”

“You matter more than class right now, Kyle.   I need to make sure you’re alright first,” Aaron said and Kyle shivered. “Now come on.”

Aaron turned back to keep walking.  Fast footsteps raced towards him and he felt a soft tug on the back of his shirt.  He stopped briefly to turn his head around to see that Kyle was clutched to the back of his shirt with his head lowered.  Aaron didn’t say anything.  He smiled sadly and continued to walk outside the school with his hands shoved into his pockets and his mouth squeezed shut.  Aaron led the way to his car and opened the passenger side door to let Kyle quickly sit down.  The drive to Stark’s pond was quiet.  Aaron turned on the heat but it didn’t stop Kyle from shaking still as he fought back the demons that invaded his mind.  His temples burned.  He lifted hand to his head to rub at the flesh before he started to thread his fingers through his hair but it was quickly ripped away.  Aaron’s hand held on tightly to his, their fingers lacing together.  It was the first contact since Kyle pushed the brunet away.  Aaron knew that Kyle was fragile, that he didn’t want to be touched, but he couldn’t handle it anymore.

“Don’t do that.  Please,” Aaron begged with a flat tone.

Kyle frowned.  There was something in the other’s boy’s voice that made him worried but their hands pressed together had instantly stopped his shivering.  He had collapsed in front of Aaron but the taller boy didn’t run.  He didn’t turn away.  He didn’t leave Kyle alone to deal with it, he was just in the seat next to him.  Aaron slowed his car to move through the narrow path towards Stark’s Pond to park next to the beach.  The car’s engine ceased its rumbling and Aaron sat back in his seat.  He had let go of Kyle’s hand some time before and kept both on the steering wheel as he let his fingers tap against it.  The heavy tension in the cab was back.  Kyle hadn’t felt it in so long he wasn’t sure about it at first.

“Aaron—,” Kyle started to say with a shake in his voice.

“I need—,” Aaron interrupted and paused with a heavy sigh as he lowered his head. “I need to ask you, but I’m scared it will hurt you.  I know you’ll force yourself to tell me if I asked but I don’t think you’re ready to.”

Kyle turned his head back to stare at his lap.  He let out a shaky breath. “I—I want to tell you.  It hurts, but I want to tell you…everything.”

“Don’t—,” Aaron started to snap.

“I’m ready to tell you, but I need you to do something,” Kyle said quickly before his friend could continue.  Aaron’s eyebrows furrowed together curiously. “Can you—um—sit in the back?”

Aaron had to hold back the small chuckle because of the strange request.  Kyle didn’t need to be laughed at, not matter how strange he may have been.  Aaron nodded and Kyle listened as the driver’s door creaked open, slammed shut, then the back door opened and closed.  Aaron sat in the middle of the bench seat and waited.  From the back seat he couldn’t see Kyle’s face but he could see the tension in the red head’s shoulders.  Kyle breathed through the heavy rock in his chest.  He was struggling to push aside the dark thoughts to get words from his throat.  Aaron merely waited patiently.

“There was a party last year at Token’s house,” Kyle finally began to say with a surprisingly steady voice. “It was at the end of the school year.  I went with Stan, and Kenny—,” he paused to swallowed the lump in his throat. “—and Cartman.  We were all friends at the time despite the face that we all knew Cartman was a handful.  We had put up with his shit for years but something that night snapped in him and finally made him do something that no one could forgive.” He sighed shakily before he continued. “He drank a lot.  I found him holding up the counter in the kitchen.  He looked bad so I helped him up the stairs to a room to lay down, hoping that would help him at least to get home.  What I didn’t realize was that he wasn’t as drunk as I thought and I definitely didn’t notice the knife he carried all the way from the kitchen.” Aaron shifted uncomfortably behind Kyle and he had to shut his eyes.  His arms were crossed over his chest and his fingernails dug into his muscles to keep himself grounded. “Everything happened so fast, but I was suddenly pinned down on the bed.  The knife was to my throat.”

_“C’mon, let’s play a game, Kahl.  It’s called, how long can the Jew go ‘fore he screams?”_

_“Get the fuck off me, Cartman!  This isn’t funny!”_

_“Awe, is a lil funny seein’ you squirm.  It’s so…invitin’.”_

_“Stop, please.”_

_Cartman dragged the flat side of the knife down Kyle’s torso to hook it under his shirt at the bottom.  The knife’s blade ripped the fabric with ease to expose Kyle’s creamy skin underneath. “Yer gonna enjoy this,” Cartman said breathily.  He pressed the sharp side of the knife against Kyle’s skin and pressed until he broke skin.  Kyle whimpered between pinched lips.  His eyes were squeezed shut to keep the tears back as the knife was dragged down his chest. “I wantcha ta member somethin’ Kahl.  I wantcha ta member me forever,” Cartman growled. “Yer no one.  Yer never gonna be loved.  Yer a filthy Jew.  Yer meant ta be dirtied.”_

_Kyle whimpered again when Cartman’s hand pressed to his stomach and moved roughly under his pants to wrap his fingers tightly around Kyle’s dick.  The unwanted touch made Kyle cry and thrash.  He wanted out.  He wanted to run away._

_“Yer no one without me, Kahl,” Cartman whispered into Kyle’s ear. “Yer nothin’!”_

_The door suddenly opened and Kenny drunkenly stumbled inside with Stan right behind him. “There you guys…are,” Stan said before he and Kenny noticed what was happening._

“They saw the knife and freaked.  Kenny had Cartman against the wall with his hands to his throat and Stan grabbed me.  It took three of the guys to pull Kenny away from Cartman before he killed the bastard,” Kyle explained and tightened his fingers on his knees. “I made everyone promise to keep quiet about what happened that night.  I didn’t want people to know.  I especially didn’t want it to get back to my family.  I didn’t want people to stare and judge and point fingers.  Stan and Kenny hated it.  They both wanted me to tell someone and get Cartman in trouble, but I couldn’t.  So, I made a deal with them that if it got to the point that I couldn’t handle it on my own anymore, I’d tell someone,” Kyle said and scoffed as he slowly shook his head. “I’ve tried so hard to hold it all back, but I can’t help it sometimes.  His words are like knives.  I can’t get them out now they’re there.”

Arms suddenly wrapped around Kyle from behind his seat.  Aaron pressed his forehead against the head rest and sighed.  Kyle tilted his head forward to press his cheek to Aaron’s top arm.

“He was right about one thing, I am no one.  I’m never gonna be loved because I’m…dirty,” Kyle said and couldn’t help the tears that fell from his eyes.

Aaron moved.  He shifted to sit on the centre console facing the back of the car.  The added height made him lean forward.  His hand grabbed Kyle’s seat and he was almost touching the red head’s forehead with his own. “Stop,” Aaron said breathlessly as his free hand gently touched Kyle’s cheek to rub his thumb along the soft skin. “You are everything, Kyle.  And I—,” Aaron stopped himself with a soft exhale.

Kyle shuttered as the boy’s warm breath moved over his face.  The unspoken words were lingering in the cramped space of the car that Aaron couldn’t seem to get out.  He couldn’t get his mouth to form the words he wanted to say.  His eyes darted around, looking for anything to help until they stopped on Kyle’s wrist.  The bright red marks on the skin there made his breathing quicken with anger.  How dare Cartman lay a finger on Kyle.  How dare he mangle and destroy the mind of someone so…amazing.

Kyle twitched as Aaron’s fingers gently brushed against his tender wrist.  It was a jolt more out of being startled than flinching away out of fear.  Aaron looked back up at Kyle.  He was looking for something in the emerald eyes that would tell him it was alright.  Kyle finally lifted his gaze to meet Aaron’s intense, gold stare.  His fingers brushed against the bruised wrist again and Kyle didn’t flinch away.  Aaron made sure to be careful with his movements as he lifted Kyle’s hand towards his face.  Kyle’s chest heaved, his breaths uneven as he watched Aaron close his eyes and gently press his lips to the tender spot of his wrist.

The kiss was gentle.  Caring.  Everything Kyle hadn’t experienced and demanded more of.  He straightened out his fingers to let them glide across Aaron’s cheek.  The brunet opened his eyes to connect his gaze with Kyle again.  There was hesitation as unsteady breaths filled the inside of the car.  Aaron’s hand was back on Kyle’s cheek as the red head moved his hand down to grab the front of the front of the brunet’s shirt.  Then, the hesitation disappeared and Aaron’s hand moved around to the back of Kyle’s head as lips touched.  A soft, caring kiss.  New and exciting and purely experimental.  The two boys were rigid and unsure but sparks flared at the contact.  Aaron pulled away first as they both sighed, simultaneously trying to catch their breath and savour in the moment they had waited painfully long for.

“Kyle,” Aaron whispered against the smaller boy’s lips through the small space between them. “You had me bewitched from the moment I first saw you.  You are not no one.  You are amazing in every single way.”

“Aaron,” Kyle sighed as the other’s finger stroked gentle circles against the back of his neck.

“I like you, Kyle.  And if I must spend every day of the rest of my life trying to convince you just how amazing you are, I’ll do that,” Aaron explained. “I—.”

Aaron stopped when Kyle’s lips pressed against his again.  It was different than the first kiss.  It was no longer experimental, it was desperate and needy.  Kyle’s arms moved to wrap around Aaron’s neck to pull him closer.  The angling was awkward but neither of them cared.  The kiss was warm and their lips moved to create friction and want.  Kyle didn’t want it to stop.

_“You are everything, Kyle.”_

And he believed it.  He believed every single sweet, powerful word.


	6. I'm Yours

Kyle sighed loudly as he pressed his forehead to Aaron’s.  He hated how they had to keep stopping to catch their breath.  The new position was far more comfortable in the back seat where Kyle sat on Aaron’s lap, his knees on either side of the taller boy’s hips, but it came with its own issues.  Aaron was breathing heavily, his hands moving carefully from Kyle’s thighs to travel up his back.  The touch made Kyle arch forward to press their chests together.  Aaron smiled and dug his fingers gently into Kyle’s back.  Their gym shorts were thin and left nothing to the imagination if they would get any closer.  Kyle blushed at the thought.  He was getting hard, he could feel it grow with each touch that lit his skin on fire.

“Are you okay?” Aaron asked as he removed a hand from Kyle’s back to gently brush some strands of red hair away. “Should we go back to the school?”

Kyle shook his head frantically. “No, I don’t want to go back,” he said and kneaded at his bottom lip with his teeth.  Aaron waited with his head slightly tilted and wide eyes staring at Kyle.  It was all up to Kyle.  Hands were both placed at the smaller boy’s back again and fingertips were rubbing small circles against the skin.

“What do you want, Kyle?” Aaron whispered, pressing the words that were swirling in the red head’s mind.

“I—,” Kyle stopped himself.  His hands were placed firmly on Aaron’s shoulders and for some reason he was shaking.  It could have been the cold, or it could have been his own nerves getting the better of him. “Can we go to your place?” he finally managed out through the nervous lump in his throat.

Aaron’s face didn’t shift but he blinked noticeably. “My mom’s not going to be home.  She’s working the graveyard shift today,” he said and Kyle wasn’t sure if he was telling him or telling himself that detail. “Is—Is that okay?”

It was a strange question.  They had hung out at Aaron’s house without his mom multiple times before.  Something was different now though.  The dynamic had shifted from their first kiss.  Kyle nodded with a wide smile.  Aaron was being such a gentleman.  How corny.  It made Kyle far too happy.

The boys shifted back to their seats so Aaron could back the car out of the park.  When they were cruising down the road and Aaron no longer needed to shift, the taller boy grabbed the smaller hand to thread their fingers together.  Kyle felt every bit of anxiety he had wash away.  He didn’t think it was possible for something so debilitating to be gone in such a split second all because of something so simple.

Aaron pulled into his empty driveway and shut off the car.  He was out first and Kyle had to take a second to catch his breath.  He finally slid out of the car and followed Aaron up to the front door.  The brunet opened it to let Kyle inside first and then followed him.  He shut the door and turned to see Kyle shivering.  This time it wasn’t a nervous shiver, it was a cold shiver.

Aaron chuckled. “Come on, I have some clothes you can wear that’ll be warmer than those,” he explained and kicked his shoes off to disappear into his room.

Kyle carefully took his shoes off and followed.  In all the times he had been to Aaron’s, he had never once stepped foot into his room.  He saw parts of it from outside and the reflections in the full-length mirror, but he never saw the whole thing until then.  It was almost exactly how Kyle had imagined it.  Clean with a few loose articles of clothing draped here and there.  Baseball equipment sat in the corner.  On top of the long dresser that Aaron rummaged through were photos and a fireman’s helmet hung on the wall with a framed medal next to it.  Kyle drifted over beside Aaron to carefully reach up and touch his fingers to the glass of the frame.  Aaron stopped shuffling through the dresser drawer to look up at Kyle’s hand.

“It’s a medal of bravery,” Aaron said and Kyle read the small letter engraved into the metal. “They gave it to me at his funeral.  He earned it when he died,” he said and let out a soft chuckle as he shook his head. “It’s weird.  They gave him a medal for being brave but he died being brave.  They gave a medal to a dead man.”

Kyle lowered his head as he turned to look at the boy next to him who was staring down at the clothes he held tightly in his hands.  There was a quick twitch of pain that crossed over the brunet’s face and Kyle saw it.  The red head reached out to grab Aaron’s wrist to slowly turn him.  The brunet watched carefully as Kyle took the clothes from him to toss them onto the bed and then stepped into his space.  They weren’t quite touching as hands moved up to press against Aaron’s chest and then glided to press to his neck.

Kyle stood on his toes but Aaron still had to duck down slightly to meet him.  Their lips pressed together and Aaron was surprised when Kyle immediately took over.  Heat immediately blazed between the two as lips moved and then Aaron felt a tongue move over his lips.  The chill that ran up his spine made him shiver.  Kyle felt it and grinned.  Aaron’s tongue darted out to meet Kyle’s and sparks exploded at the connection.  Hands were moving up Kyle’s sides and along Aaron’s chest.  Small trails of flames left behind in their finger’s wakes.  Kyle grabbed Aaron’s shirt in his fingers and started to pull him forward.  Aaron broke the kiss to open his eyes and follow the guiding movement.  Kyle walked backwards until the back of his knees touched the side of Aaron’s bed.  Aaron quickly grabbed Kyle’s arms.

“Kyle, I—,” Aaron started to stammer.

“Don’t worry,” Kyle said with a bright smile as he carefully sat down on the bed.  His hands had let go of Aaron’s shirt to glide along his arms to grab his hands. “I’ll tell you when to stop.  I’ll tell you when it’s too much, but I’m not going to break.”

Aaron exhaled with a smile. “I might,” he replied.

“Then you tell me when to stop,” Kyle said as he shifted their hands to thread their fingers together. “You can say it right now.  Just say stop.”

Kyle was on his back.  Aaron loomed over him to pin the red head’s hand above his head, their fingers still laced together.  Aaron’s free hand moved to the back of Kyle’s head as Kyle reached up to put his small hand on the side of Aaron’s neck.

“Not yet,” Aaron sighed and then leaned down to kiss Kyle again.

Need.  Desperation.  Heat.  Tongues dove into opposite mouths to touch every bump and taste every inch.  Kyle’s body was hot with anticipation.  He wanted to be touched.  He needed to be touched.  He moved his hand from Aaron’s neck to ghost it down over the brunet’s torso to grab the bottom of his shirt.  Aaron let go of Kyle’s hand to help him with his shirt.  Kyle’s breath caught in his throat.  He had seen Aaron shirtless multiple times but it was different now.  The skin looked soft and inviting.  The small muscles under rippled as Aaron moved.  He was flawless, beautiful.

“You’re staring,” Aaron said with a lifted eyebrow to give Kyle a quizzical look.

Kyle’s cheeks reddened.  Aaron laughed and grabbed Kyle’s hand to press it to his face.  He gently kissed the boy’s palm, tickling the skin.  Kyle sighed as he let his head sink back further into the mattress.  The slightly cracked lips against his soft palm made his spine shiver.  Then the lips left and his palm was pressed against soft skin.  Aaron’s chest.  Aaron’s hands moved along Kyle’s chest and stopped to gently pinch the bottom of his shirt with his fingertips.

“Can I?” Aaron asked.

The timid approach Aaron had was sweet but also a bit frustration to Kyle.  He knew they had to take it slow, to figure out each other’s pace, but there was something animalistic deep down that didn’t want to take it slow.  It wanted to go.  Kyle pushed himself to sit up and reached his hands far above his head as he smiled.  Aaron laughed and pulled Kyle’s shirt over his head easily.  Chilled air brushed over Kyle’s now exposed skin and when he looked up, Aaron was staring with a soft, saddened expression at the long scar along his chest.  The stare made Kyle want to curl in on himself.  Aaron touched his fingertips to the top of the scar and slowly moved them along the bump of healed skin.  Kyle opened his mouth to say something but Aaron’s lips pressed over the top of the scar and he threw his head back with a loud inhale.  His hand found its way into Aaron’s hair as he laid back down on the mattress.  Aaron followed him as he continued to kiss along the scar but didn’t stop when he reached the end.  He placed small butterfly kisses along Kyle’s stomach and to meet the skin just above the smaller boy’s shorts.  Kyle quickly snapped out of the state of euphoria he was in.  His heart thumped rapidly in his chest and he was panicking.

“St—Stop,” he managed to croak out in a shaky voice.

Aaron’s hands immediately disconnected and he sat up.  He scrambled off and took a step back.  Just like that, they had stopped.  His hand quickly pushed through his hair. “I—I’m sorry, I didn’t—I shouldn’t have—,” Aaron stammered worriedly.

Kyle quickly sat up and his body pressed against Aaron’s.  Kyle’s arms wrapped around Aaron’s waist in a tight hug as his face pressed to the taller boy’s bare chest.  Aaron hesitated before he pushed a hand into Kyle’s hair and let his other hand wrap around his shoulders.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.  I’m just—,” Kyle began to explain but stopped himself to exhale shakily.  Aaron started to laugh.  Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed together and he lifted his head to look up at the taller boy.  Aaron continued to laugh.  It was loud and made his eyes squeeze shut. “Why are you laughing?”

Aaron shook his head frantically as he slowed his laughter down.  “I—I’m sorry I just—when you said stop, it scared the shit out of me.  It felt like I was being pulled out of a deep sleep or something.”

“And that’s funny?” Kyle asked.

Aaron pressed his forehead to Kyle’s and let out a sharp sigh. “I’m sorry,” he said with a lowered tone.

Kyle gave Aaron’s back a small pinch which made the taller boy yelp as he arched his back slightly. “Stop apologizing,” Kyle said and Aaron smiled with a small chuckle. “Can we just lay down for a bit?  I feel tired.”

Aaron nodded. “Yeah, but first let’s change,” he said and reached over to pick up the clothes Kyle had tossed onto the bed.  Kyle changed into the baggy jogging pants and t-shirt that was a size too big for him with an artistic picture of an elephant on it.  Aaron changed in front of the full-length mirror and had to stop when his attention was caught by the reflection of Kyle in nothing but his boxers across the room.  Aaron swallowed the nervous lump in his throat.

 _“He’s gorgeous,”_ he thought to himself and shook his head. _“Stop staring.  Don’t be a pervert, Carmichael.”_

Kyle was underneath Aaron’s large comforter and plaid quilt first.  Aaron walked over to the side of the bed in his jeans and long sleeve shirt.  He slid under the blankets and Kyle immediately shifted to press his face to Aaron’s chest.  Aaron slid one arm under the pillows and let the other arm wrap around Kyle to pull him close.  Silence loomed in the room.  It was calming.  The two boys were tangled in each other, listening to each other’s soft breaths and taking in each other’s warmth.  Then, Kyle started to chuckle softly.  Aaron opened his eyes to look down to Kyle who was burying his face in the other’s chest.

“Kyle?” Aaron said curiously.

“Sorry, I’m just remembering the last time we were in a bed together,” Kyle said and then lifted his head to crane his neck to look at Aaron. “I woke up with you wrapped around me from behind moaning in your sleep.”

Aaron jerked away slightly.  His eyes were wide with horror. “What?  Really?” he asked.  Kyle nodded. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Aaron snapped in shock.

Kyle chuckled and pulled Aaron against him again. “It’s fine.  You were asleep.  You didn’t even know what you were doing.  Plus, it felt nice.  I liked it, but I didn’t know you felt same until the wake thanks to your mom.”

Aaron quickly propped himself up on his elbow.  His eyes were impossibly wider. “What?  She told you?” he snapped.

Kyle rolled onto his back and laughed. “Not on purpose.  I was eavesdropping on her and Deborah,” he explained and Aaron’s face twisted into playful disappointment.  Kyle grinned. “What?  I couldn’t help it.  She was talking about how I make you happy and how you liked me and—.”

“Stop!” Aaron yelled as he quickly clamped a hand over Kyle’s mouth.  The red head’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “I told my mom a lot of embarrassing things so whatever it is that you heard, I don’t want to know.  I want you to hear me say them to you, not just repeat what I know she’s said to you.”

Kyle’s cheeks burned.  He was happy.  He smiled under Aaron’s hand and threw his arms around the brunet to pull him down against him.  Aaron let out a loud grunt as he fell onto Kyle and chuckled loudly. “You make me happy too, and I like you too,” Kyle whispered and Aaron snaked his arms around the smaller boy to roll them over so he was lying on the taller boy’s chest.

Kyle wasn’t sure when he fell asleep to the sound of Aaron’s steady heartbeat and he didn’t care until he woke to the sound of heavy, rapid banging.  Being ripped from his sleep made him slow to react.  He moaned as the arms around him tightened, not wanting to let go of the comfort and warmth they had created in the small amount of time they were together.  The banging was coming from outside the room on the main door.

“Aaron!  Come on man, don’t make me break and enter!” Kenny’s muffled voice yelled through the door. “Kyle’s not home and I know you’re in there.” Kyle’s eyes fluttered open as the front door opened and shut. “Check downstairs, Stan.”

Kyle managed to slide out of the arms wrapped around him to sit up.  He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and yawned.  His eyes were sore from crying and his body felt tingly from everything else.  Footsteps thumped down the stairs on the other side of the wall and then there was a low snicker.  Kyle dropped his hands and looked up to see Kenny standing in the doorway of the room.

“Well, what were you two up to?” he asked with a mischievous grin.

Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed together.  He turned his head to look at Aaron who was still fast sleep.  Suddenly it all became way too apparent to Kyle what it looked like to Kenny.  Kyle’s eyes snapped open and he quickly flew off the bed. “Ken, it—it’s not wha—what it looks like.  I swear!” Kyle stuttered as he frantically waved his hands in the air.

Kenny chuckled. “Relax Kyle, it’s not like I totally called this,” he said and slid Aaron’s bag off his shoulder to toss it across the room.  It landed on Aaron with a heavy thud that woke him straight out of his sleep.  He quickly sat up, mumbling incoherent words of panic as looked around frantically.

“What the fuck?  What—?” he yelled and stopped when he spotted Kenny in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Don’t worry Stan, I found them!” Kenny leaned out of the room to yell down the stairs. “I told you to get him out of the gymnasium, not take advantage of his poor fragile state,” Kenny teased Aaron with a lifted eyebrow.

“Kenny!” Kyle shouted in a low growl.

“I’m kidding.  There’s nothing fragile about you, dear little Kyle,” Kenny said and leaned against the doorframe, his grin wide and smug on his face.

“Oh my god!” Stan suddenly screamed from downstairs and everyone’s faced contorted into confusion and worry. “Look at the size of this dog!  Kenny!  Come see this fucking dog!” The three boys simultaneous chuckled as they rolled their eyes or shook their heads. “Kenny!”

“Coming Stanley,” Kenny said as he stepped out of the room to head downstairs.

Kyle moved towards the door but stopped when Aaron quickly shuffled off the bed. “Wait,” he said as he quickly rushed over to put a hand on Kyle’s waist as the other touched his cheek. “I have to ask what this is.  What we are, because I can’t handle anything that’s not real right now, even if it means not having you at all.  I want you but—.”

“You have me,” Kyle interrupted as his hands went up to cup Aaron’s cheeks. “This is real.  You have me.  I just—Let’s go slow to start.  I’ve never done anything like this before and I don’t know how everyone is going to react to it.”

Aaron smiled and nodded in understanding.  It was strange to say it all out loud.  All of the things he had been holding back for months but was too afraid to say anything out of fear of rejection.  Kyle was floating as they kissed quickly to pull away when they heard Kenny suddenly yell, “Holy fuck, is that a horse?” and Stan squealed loudly in excitement.

“I should go down there and make sure they don’t try to ride Winston,” Aaron said and turned to leave but Kyle grabbed tightly onto his hand to pull him back for one more kiss that Aaron smiled against.

“I’m never going to get tired of that,” Kyle whispered against Aaron’s lips as the taller boy ran his fingers through Kyle’s messy hair.

Kenny and Stan were pleasantly surprised by Kyle’s happiness that they thought against asking if he was alright because it was obvious he was.  What was more obvious, at least to Kenny, was the connection between Kyle and Aaron.  Their constant stares and frequent touching was something hard to miss if you were looking for it.  Stan was too busy rolling around on the floor with Winston to notice.  And when Pinecone was suddenly revealed from his cage, the raven-haired boy was completely gone.

~//~

The next day, Aaron picked up Kyle and Stan to take them to school.  Kyle sat in the front seat and spent the entire car ride thinking about Aaron’s hands.  They were big and warm and he wanted them all over him.  In his hair, over his chest, down his back.  Anywhere he could be touched, he wanted to be touched by those hands, but there was also something else nagging in the back of his mind.  That familiar voice he tried so desperately to push out for months.  The voice that made him say uncle at Aaron’s before they got too far.  It was quieter than before and the dull pain that once accompanied it had all but disappeared, but it was still there.  His fear was going to haunt him and he didn’t know for how long.

“Kenny,” Kyle called out as he jogged ahead of Aaron and Stan once he was out of the Chevy.  Kenny was leaning against his truck with a cigarette between his lips.  He wasn’t a heavy smoker, just one here and there when he was bored or stressed.  He took a drag of the cigarette and blew the smoke out the corner of his mouth, away from Kyle who he knew despised the fact that he smoked. “We didn’t get a chance to talk yesterday,” Kyle said in a low, quieted voice. “About—.”

“You and Aaron?” Kenny finished for the red head with a quirky grin.

Kyle blushed and nodded. “Can—Can you keep it a secret?  Just until we’re ready to tell people?” he asked.

“Even from Stan?” Kenny asked as he flicked his cigarette.

“Just for now,” Kyle begged.

Kenny nodded. “He does know about your feelings for Aaron, but he doesn’t know you two are together.  He might catch on though.  He’s oblivious but not stupid.  He can put one and one together,” he explained and took another inhale of his cigarette. “All I’m saying is, don’t keep a secret for too long.  The sooner you come out with the truth, the better the chance you have to squash any rumours that may come out.”

Kyle nodded in understanding.  He may be an idiot at time, or at least play the idiot, but he knew when to impart his wisdom for the greater good. “Kenny!  Give me one of those,” Stan said as he stepped around Kyle to take one from the small pack Kenny held out to him. “What were you two talking about?”

“Nothing in particular.  Here,” Kenny said and held up his lighter for Stan.

“Well, how about we talk about how in the hell you managed to keep yourself from getting suspended for almost choking out Cartman,” Stan explained after taking a long drag of his cigarette.

“How did you manage that?” Aaron asked as he stepped up between Kyle and Stan.

Kenny grinned menacingly.  He inhaled the last of his cigarette and tossed it down at his feet to dig the sole of his sneaker against it. “Trade secret,” he bullshitted. “Wouldn’t want to give up my one and only talent to the world.”

Kyle rolled his eyes and was the first one to split from the group.  Aaron quickly followed him to walk directly beside him. “How are you feeling?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Kyle didn’t like the question but he knew Aaron would ask it for a while at least.  There was no way around it and it didn’t mind the fact that the brunet cared for him so much. “I feel great.  Thank you,” he answered.

“Hey,” Aaron said as he carefully grabbed Kyle to stop him.  Gold eyes quickly darted around to make sure no one was listening too carefully. “If you start to not feel great, just let me know, okay?” Aaron explained.  Kyle’s expression scrunched up slightly in confusion and Aaron leaned towards him slightly to whisper. “I’ve got a few ways to make you feel better.”

Kyle’s face burned up as his brain kicked into overdrive.  Aaron, feeling proud of Kyle’s reaction, smugly grinned as he stepped around the red head to leave.

Class was painful for Kyle.  He spent the entire time thinking about the boy sitting near him.  Lingering stares and brushing touches made his heart beat faster in his chest.  At lunch, they sat so close that their knees touched out of everyone’s view.  Kyle reached down to scratch at a spot above his knee cap and when he brought his hand up he dragged his fingers over the other boy’s thigh.  Aaron was talking to Stan across the table at that moment.  His lips turned up higher into a bigger smile halfway through his sentence and Kyle knew he had the boy on edge.

Third period, Spanish, the class was gathered in the library.  It was two levels with lots of sections of bookcases and tables.  Kyle and Stan sat at a table with Clyde and Token.  They weren’t close but they were told to get into a group of four and there wasn’t any other option that Kyle liked.

“Clyde and I are gonna get on a computer.  Are you guys okay with finding some books?” Token asked as he stood.

Kyle nodded in agreement.  Token and Clyde grabbed their notebooks to head downstairs to the computers.  Aaron stood next and gave Kyle’s shoulder a small tap. “Come on,” he said.

Kyle followed Aaron down rows of bookcases and wondered where the taller boy was heading towards once they had passed the section they needed and were heading into the genres that had nothing to do with what they needed to research.  Aaron turned the corner into the last row and Kyle followed where he was immediately grabbed and pinned against the shelves.  Aaron quickly tilted to look around the corner to make sure no one was coming before he stepped into Kyle’s space to kiss him.

“That was a dirty thing you did at lunch, Kyle Broflovski,” Aaron growled against Kyle’s grinning lips.

“I had a feeling you enjoyed that,” he replied while running his hands up Aaron’s chest.  He loved the firm plane of muscle there.

Aaron smiled and then leaned forward but his lips didn’t find Kyle’s, they found the soft skin on the red head’s neck.  Kyle inhaled sharply and let his head tilt back to clunk against the shelf.  Aaron’s hand gripped the wooden shelf as he placed soft kisses along the pale skin of Kyle’s neck.  The brunet would lightly grab the skin between his teeth occasionally to pull small moans from Kyle’s throat.  That small voice was back but it was instantly silenced when Aaron gently bit down just below his jaw.  When Aaron pulled away, Kyle’s face was bright red and he was breathing heavily.  Aaron grinned proudly at his work.

“This is your punishment, Mr. Broflovski,” Aaron whispered next to Kyle’s ear before he stepped aside to leave the isle.

Kyle let out a shaky breath and lifted his hands to press them to his hot face.  At this rate, he wasn’t going to last.  He kept his distance to Aaron for the rest of the day and it only amused the brunet more.  At the end of the day, Aaron drove Kyle and Stan home.  Stan crawled out first and before Kyle could leave, Aaron grabbed his hand to gently stroke his thumb over the soft skin.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Aaron said and Kyle nodded.

“Bubbie?” Sheila called out when Kyle entered the house.

“I’m home, ma,” Kyle responded as he pulled off his boots and removed his coat.

The short woman descended the stairs with a basket of laundry in her hands.  A small smile formed on her face when noticed Kyle’s wide smile. “My, you must have had a good day.  You are all smiles,” she mentioned happily.

“I did have a good day,” Kyle replied as he stepped up and kissed his mother on her cheek.  It was a pleasant surprise that left the woman speechless. “Do you want me to bring my laundry downstairs?”

“That—That would be nice, yes,” Sheila answered in a daze.  Kyle nodded before running up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time to reach his room.  Sheila scoffed. “Let’s just hope it’s not drugs.”

Kyle barely slept that night.  Memories of soft lips pressed to his neck were burned into his mind.  He tried to watch videos to tire himself out but he couldn’t stop the phantom touches that made him shiver as he shifted positions uncomfortably.  He fought to keep his eyes open as he stood on the sidewalk outside his house the next morning. “Dude, long night?” Stan asked as he stepped up beside his friend who was yawning.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Kyle answered and rubbed his eye.

Stan smacked Kyle’s back to make the red head grunt.  The battered old pickup truck flew around the corner and Kyle felt a small twinge of disappointment.  He knew Aaron couldn’t always be the one to pick them up, it was too suspicious, but that didn’t make it any less hard.  Kyle sat in the middle with the two boys on either side of him and leaned his head against Stan’s shoulder to close his eyes.  He just wanted a few minutes of peaceful sleep before he had to force himself through another day of school.

 _“Kyle,”_ Aaron’s soft voice echoed in Kyle’s tired mind. _“I want you.”_

“Hey, wake up,” Stan said as he moved his shoulder to jostle Kyle from his sleep.  Kyle sat up with a low groan and rubbed his eyes.  The truck was stopped in a parking spot facing the school.  Kenny was already climbing out as Stan gently rubbed Kyle’s shoulder. “Are you alright?  It’s not like you to not sleep.”

_“Oh, I’m fine.  Just stayed up all night being horny and thinking about being fucked by—.”_

“I’m good,” Kyle lifted his head, ceasing his own thoughts. “I promise, I’m fine,” he assured his friend with a wide smile.

Stan exhaled and smiled back.  He had spent so long worrying so much about Kyle, it was difficult to see that his childhood friend was actually thriving for a change.  Kyle spotted Aaron’s car in the parking lot but didn’t see him until he stepped into his Algebra classroom.  Aaron was sitting in his spot with his glasses on his face and his book open in front of him.  He didn’t look up until Kyle was crossing in front of the desk to walk around to his spot.  The brunet grinned proudly and let his gold eyes fall back on his book.

“You look exhausted,” Aaron said and then leaned over slightly towards Kyle. “It’s kind of cute.”

“It’s your fault.  I was up all night…thinking,” Kyle explained quietly.

Aaron moved his glasses down his nose a bit so he could look over them at Kyle with an arched eyebrow.  The red head turned his head and his breath hitched in his throat.  The look caught him off guard.  It was unbelievably attractive.  He turned his head back and Aaron let out a small chuckle as he pushed his glasses back up and returned to his book.

_“Oh shit…”_

Kyle went home again after school.  He wanted badly to hang out with his friends but his mother had guilt tripped him about never being home lately.  It was true.  He was always either at Stan’s or Aaron’s.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be home, he just found himself enjoying hanging out with everyone.  So, he picked his way through dinner, avoiding answering any long-winded questions.  He was too tired to deal with too many questions so he left the majority of them to Ike.  After dinner, Kyle went back to his room to do his homework.  His head was too tired and distracted to focus.  He dazed out at one time and came back to see he had drawn Aaron’s name all over the page.  A knock on the door startled him.  He quickly ripped the piece of paper out of his notebook and spun around.

“Bubbie?” Sheila said as she cracked open the door.

“Yeah ma?” Kyle replied while tossing the crumpled piece of paper into his wastebasket as the door completely swung open.

“Your father and I are going out.  We won’t be back until late.  Watch over your brother, okay?” she said and Kyle nodded.  It was his parents’ weekly date night.  They would go out once a week to spend all evening together without Kyle or Ike to worry about.  Sheila walked over to gently kiss her son on the forehead before she walked out, closing the door behind her.

Kyle listened to the soft voices of his mother speaking to Ike and then the front door closing.  Their car quietly pulled out of the driveway and Kyle leaned back in his chair as he stretched his arms over his head.  He sat back forward to look down at his open textbook but the attempt to do his homework was long gone.  His mind was long gone.  Aaron’s voice had invaded every crack and crevasse in his mind.  The sensation of hands trailing over his body didn’t go away, they only got worst.  His chair rattled as it rolled backwards when he stood and made a dash for his door.  He quickly rushed down the stairs to the front door where he grabbed his coat and slid on his boots.

“Where are you going?” Ike asked from his spot on the couch.

Kyle grabbed his keys to shove them into his pocket. “Ike, can you promise me that you won’t burn down the house while I’m gone?” he asked. “Or at least promise me that you’ll try not to burn the house down.”

“If you tell me where you’re going,” Ike replied as he turned his head to grin at his big brother.

Kyle rolled his eyes. “I’m going to a friend’s house for a bit.  I’ll be back before mom and dad get home, but I need you to promise me you’ll be good and you won’t tell them I left.”

Ike shuffled so he knelt on the couch with his elbows on the back.  His grin grew wider. “What do I get in return?” he asked.  Kyle didn’t worry about leaving Ike alone.  He was resourceful kid, but he also had a knack for doing dumb things in the name of science or something.

“What do you want, you little con artist?” Kyle asked in a low voice.

“Do my homework for a month,” Ike replied.

“I will help you with your homework for a month and I’ll do your chores for two weeks,” Kyle retaliated.

Ike was pleased with the negotiation.  He nodded and turned back in his seat to continue watching the television. “Deal,” he said.

Kyle quickly swung open the door and slammed it shut behind him before he bounced off the front porch.  The setting sun lit up the sky with colours of orange and red making it look like it was on fire.  Kyle ran down the street, his breaths in heavy pants.  He couldn’t walk though, it would take too painfully long.  He didn’t stop until he reached the familiar front door of the bungalow with the muscle car parked in the driveway.  He huffed heavily as he pounded on the door and waited.  Kyle guessed Aaron was downstairs with how long it took him to get to the door.  He gently opened the door, his glasses perched on his nose with wide gold eyes magnified behind them.

“Kyle?” he asked with a worried tone. “What’s wrong?”

“Is your mom home?” Kyle asked breathlessly.  His hair was a mess and he was sweating along his forehead.

“Is someone hurt?” Aaron pressed, his worry growing in his voice.

“Is your mom home?” Kyle repeated himself in a low growl that was surprising, even to him.

Aaron shook his head. “No, she’s at work, why—?”

“Good,” Kyle said as he stepped forward and pushed Aaron back inside the house.

He kicked the door closed as he wrapped thin arms around the taller boy’s neck to crash their lips together.  A tongue immediately darted out to brush over Aaron’s lips.  The taller boy moaned and gladly opened his mouth to allow Kyle inside.  The fight for dominance began as Kyle peeled his coat off his shoulders to toss it to the side.  Aaron’s hands found Kyle’s hips to hold them in a bruising grip.  Kyle pulled his tongue out of Aaron’s mouth and gently pinched the brunet’s bottom lip between his teeth.  Aaron gasped lightly as he pulled away.

“Kyle, what is—?” Aaron started to ask in small pants.

Kyle kicked off his boots and reached up to grab Aaron’s glasses from his face to set them on the small table beside him. “I don’t want to feel his touch anymore.  I can’t let him win,” Kyle said and grabbed the zipper of Aaron’s sweater to pull it down. “I want you.  I want to feel your touch all over me.  Only you.”

Aaron quickly caught Kyle’s wrists to stop him in a moment of clarification. “Wait, hold on.  I need to make sure you’re serious right now.  That you want this, not that you’re trying to bury down some deep seeded issue.”

Suddenly, Liz’s voice echoed through Kyle’s mind. _“Aaron can’t take anymore heartache.”_

“I want you, Aaron,” Kyle said in a soft voice. “I’m not going to break.  I’m not going to run.  I want all of you, and no one else.”

Aaron examined Kyle’s face closely.  There was only genuine determination hidden in those emerald eyes that stared back against bright gold.  Aaron let go of Kyle’s wrists to grab his arms.  The smaller boy let out a soft yelp as he was slammed against the door and desperate lips locked against his in a bruising kiss.  Aaron pressed against Kyle and the friction caused all his blood to rush to his lap.  He groaned into the kiss and then lips disconnected.  Aaron grabbed Kyle to pull him away from the door and spun him around.  Lips kissed and gently sucked at the skin on Kyle’s neck from behind.  Kyle’s head fell back against the taller boy’s chest as he was walked towards the bedroom.  Hands held firmly onto Kyle’s hips to lead him to the end of the bed.

Aaron spun Kyle back around to face him and they kissed again.  It was short as Aaron found the bottom of the red head’s shirt.  The fabric was lifted over Kyle’s head with ease and lips found the healed skin.  Kyle remembered the pain he felt as the blade cut through his flesh and all of it was being washed away by the warmth and love of Aaron’s lips.  Kyle fumbled to grab Aaron’s sweater and the taller boy immediately backed away from his loving kisses.  Kyle tossed the sweater to the side and then grabbed the bottom of Aaron’s shirt.  He wasn’t as smooth with removing the article of clothing as Aaron was.  The awkward removal made Aaron chuckle.  The sound washed away any tension that was left in the air.  Kyle felt like liquid when he heard that sound.  It distracted him and he was only brought back when Aaron gave him a small shove backwards.  He fell back onto the bed with a small grunt and Aaron was immediately over him.

The bed shifted with Aaron’s weight as he leaned down to kiss the scar on Kyle’s chest again before moving his attention to the small pink nipple next to it.  The warm, wet feeling over the sensitive nub made Kyle’s back arch as his hands found their way into soft brown locks.  The pressure in the lower part of his torso was growing.  Butterflies fluttered in his stomach with every needy touch.  This was the opposite to what he felt during the party with Cartman.  That was terrifying and everything he didn’t want, but this was everything he did want.  Attentive care.  Kind devotion.  Want.  Need.  Warmth.  Electricity.

“Kyle,” Aaron said breathlessly as he shifted to hover over the red head so emerald eyes met with bright gold. “I can stop.  If you want me to, I’ll do it.  I’ll do anything for you.”

Kyle felt breathless at that.  He glided his hands over the other boy’s back to place them on his ass and pulled him down.  Their crotches pressed together and both boys let out a low moan in pleasure. “Don’t stop,” Kyle whispered and wrapped his legs around Aaron’s as he rolled his hips.  The friction of jeans sent waves of pleasure between the two boys but it wasn’t enough.  They both wanted, no, needed more. “Don’t leave me.”

Aaron ran his fingers through Kyle’s hair and pressed their foreheads together. “Anything you want, babe.  I’m yours.”


	7. Goodbye Demons

Kyle always wondered about the whole socks versus no socks debate.  He thought it would be weird to keep your socks on during such an intimate act.  He was glad Aaron agreed by swiftly removing the black with yellow diamond socks from his feet before taking his sweet time pulling off his jeans.  Kyle shivered.  He was down to nothing but his light grey boxers and getting there was a haze of gliding hands and soft kisses.  He was suddenly exposed and under the intense watch of piercing gold eyes.  Aaron let out a shaky sigh.  He lifted his hand to run his fingers through his hair and Kyle was growing increasingly worried at the lack of physical contact.

“What—What’s wrong?” Kyle asked shakily.

Aaron shook his head frantically as he leaned forward to place soft kisses to Kyle’s lips and cheeks.  That’s what he wanted; contact.  He wanted hands all over him.  He didn’t want it all to stop. “Nothing is wrong,” Aaron said and shifted to Kyle’s neck. “You’re beautiful, Kyle Broflovski.”

Kyle blushed as the boy continued to place soft kisses along his neck, travelling down the soft plane of skin.  The trail moved over his chest, his stomach, and stopped just above the waistband of his boxers.  Kyle had to swallow the bundle of nerves that formed in his throat.

_“Yer no one.”_

_“Shut up.”_

Aaron looked up through his eyelashes to watch Kyle’s face.  The red head had his eyes closed and he was working through something but there was no hesitation.  Aaron placed his hands on Kyle’s knees and started to move them up his thighs.  The touch ripped a noise from Kyle’s throat that Aaron hadn’t heard yet.  Pure ecstasy.  Aaron’s hands moved up to hook his fingers around the waistband of Kyle’s boxers before he finally stopped.  Everything he did was well thought out and meticulous and it was excruciating for Kyle.  Aaron waited a moment for any sign of hesitation but was instead met with a writhing mess of need.  Kyle shifted his hips slightly.  His bottom lip was clenched between his teeth as he moaned low.  That was everything Aaron needed.  There was no stopping.  Kyle was true.  He wanted this.  He needed this.

Kyle gasped lightly as he was completely exposed to the air.  He had never been this naked in front of, well, anyone since he was too young to remember.  A hand pressed to his stomach and he lifted his head slightly but it immediately fell back against the mattress when warmth wrapped around his hard cock.  Aaron’s mouth took in all of Kyle and the feeling ripped that same ecstasy filled moan from the red head’s throat again.  Aaron moved, bobbing his head to a slow rhythm as he let his tongue run along the bottom of Kyle’s cock.  Kyle’s hand found it way into Aaron’s hair as his other hand grabbed a fist full of the bed sheet above his head.

 _“This is crazy,”_ he thought as his fingers gripped teasingly at the soft strands of brown hair. _“Is this really happening?”_

The sensation of Aaron’s warm, wet mouth wrapped around his cock was overwhelming.  His thighs quaked and his back arched when Aaron hollowed his cheeks to bob his head a few more times before he released Kyle.  The red head moaned sadly from the lack of connection.  Aaron shifted off the bed to stand and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  Though his body was still shaking, Kyle managed to sit himself up and reached for Aaron’s jeans.  The taller boy lifted both his hands to push his hair back with his fingers as Kyle worked at the button and zipper.  Once open, Kyle grabbed the jeans with Aaron’s boxer briefs and pulled them both down.  They pooled at Aaron’s ankles and the brunet tightened his fingers in his hair when Kyle wrapped nimble fingers around the base of his cock to take the remainder of it in his mouth.

“A—Ah!” Aaron gasped as Kyle mimicked the same movements he had received before.

Aaron kept his hands in his thick hair as Kyle worked him to the brink.  He let go of his soft locks only to reach down to press his palm to the side of Kyle’s face.  The smaller boy leaned back and tilted his head to look up.  His eyes were hooded as his chest heaved slightly out of breath and he stared up with rosy plump lips.  The sight made Aaron’s dick twitch.  He leaned down to kiss the corner of Kyle’s mouth where a bit of saliva mixed with his precum had rested before he fully kissed the red head’s lips.  Aaron slowly guided Kyle back onto the bed and then pulled away from the kiss.

“Wait here,” he whispered and then left the bed.

Kyle did as he was told with anxious fidgeting.  He watched as Aaron walked over to his dresser to fumble through the top drawer.  The room was dark except for a sliver of light that poured in from the kitchen, the only room in the house that had a light on in.  The sliver of light was enough for the two boys to see everything.  Kyle drank in the sight as Aaron searched.  The broad shape of the boy’s shoulders.  The slight curve of his spine down to a perfect ass and well toned legs.  Aaron had been given the gift of beauty.  Kyle, on the hand, was lanky and thin.  He had no muscles and his skin was almost sickly pale.  He couldn’t imagine what the beautiful boy saw in him.  He called him beautiful but he knew he was far from it.

“Ah!  There you are,” Aaron exclaimed and pulled out two items from the drawer.  Kyle propped himself up onto his elbows to get a better look.  A condom and a bottle of lube.  Kyle’s eyebrow arched up as Aaron looked at him with wide eyes. “I had these before I knew you, I promise.  It was a gag gift from my friends before I left Boulder.  Turns out it wasn’t much of a gag so much as preparation.”

Kyle laughed.  Aaron stepped back to the end of the bed as he fidgeted with the items in his hands.  He set the condom down next to Kyle and popped open the bottle of lube.  The smell of strawberries wafted through the room.  Kyle loved strawberries.  He watched as Aaron applied the lube to his fingers before he clicked the bottle shut to set it on the bed.  Gold eyes connected with emerald.  Aaron was silently asking for permission.  Once they broke through the next barrier, there was no going back.  Kyle knew it.  He knew that if he said no they could possibly get through the awkwardness, but if they kept going, that was it.  They were bound forever.

Kyle nodded and Aaron leaned forward to guide the smaller boy back to lay down.  Aaron kissed Kyle hard and the red head let out a loud whimper as a finger was slowly inserted inside him.  The burning sensation made his body shiver.  It was strange how he never really thought about what it would feel like until he was feeling ever terrible and amazing part of it.  Aaron didn’t move until Kyle’s scrunched up face relaxed.  He slowly pulled his finger out and returned with two.  Kyle disconnected the kiss to let out a shaky breath.  A third finger was added and the burning sensation was changing.  It was dulling to pleasure unlike anything Kyle had ever felt before.  Aaron moved his fingers and stretched Kyle as far as his body would allow.  Kyle’s hand pushed roughly into Aaron’s hair and his jaw slacked open as he pressed his forehead to Aaron’s.

“Talk to me,” Aaron whispered desperately.

“F—Feels…so good,” Kyle said and pressed his head back hard into the mattress.  He whimpered as Aaron removed his fingers and moved his hands up to press the heels into his eyes.  There was the sound of plastic ripping, Aaron holding back a small moan, and the lube bottle clicked open again.

“Kyle?” Aaron said with a worried tone as his fingers carefully wrapped around the red head’s wrist. “What’s wrong?”

Kyle sniffled loudly and slowly rocked his head back and forth. “I—I don’t want to say it.  It might hurt t—to much.”

“You have to say it,” Aaron replied in a low, husky voice.  He was trying so hard to hold back. “You can’t just say something like that and expect me to ignore the rest.”

Aaron gave Kyle’s wrist a small tug.  Kyle complied by slowly moving his hands away to let them rest against the mattress. “I want you forever, Aaron,” he blurted out. “I shouldn’t ask that because I don’t know what’s going to happen or where we’re going to end up but I can’t bear to lose you.  I need you.”

“You have me,” Aaron reassured Kyle with hands pressed to his cheeks.  Thumbs gently brushed the tops of the boy’s cheeks. “You have me, until the end of time.  Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you.  I’ll follow you to the end of the Earth if I have to.”

What an incredibly cheesy thing to say, but it made Kyle’s heart sigh.  He looped his arms up around Aaron’s neck to pull him down to a soft kiss.  Aaron kept one hand on Kyle’s cheek as he moved his other arm to hook it around the back of the red head’s knee.  He pulled the boy’s leg up to raise his hips slightly and positioned himself.  Kyle let out a shaky, nervous breath.  Aaron swallowed hard as he waited for Kyle to nod.  The brunet buried himself deep inside the red head with a heavy exhale.  Kyle shouted to the ceiling, a mixture of pain and pleasure in the cry.  Aaron waited for the boy underneath him to adjust to the foreign feeling of something inside him.  It was strange.  It was different.  But it didn’t take as long as either had anticipated for it to become the only thing he wanted.  Kyle threaded his fingers in Aaron’s hair.

“Move,” he groaned, wanting more than what he had.  Aaron didn’t hesitate to give exactly what he begged for.  He pulled out to immediate slam back into Kyle, earning a pleasured moan. “Faster,” Kyle begged and Aaron happily obliged.  The room filled with the loud sounds of skin slapping against skin and soft moans and groans from both boys.  Kyle tightened his lips together but couldn’t hold back the loud shout when Aaron pressed against that bundle of nerves that sent explosions of pleasure fireworks throughout his body. “Ah!  Aaron, th—there!”

Aaron focused on that spot and hit it repeatedly.  Kyle’s shouts grew louder with every press against the bundle of nerves and it was like music to the brunet’s ears.  Aaron straightened his back and reached between their bodies to wrap his long fingers around Kyle’s cock.  The new added feeling made Kyle’s back arch high off the bed.  He was close.  Aaron could feel it through his tightening walls.  The brunet tilted his head forward as he tried to hold himself back long enough for—

“Ah!  Aaron, I—!” Kyle shouted as he came all over his stomach and Aaron’s fingers with violent twitches and spasms.  Aaron let go of Kyle’s satisfied cock as he continued to thrust into the red head.  Kyle grabbed Aaron’s wrist and pulled his hand up to his face to run his tongue along the long, nimble fingers to lick off the cum over them.  It was, by far, the most intense thing he had ever witnessed.  Aaron let out a shaky breath and then moaned loudly when Kyle wrapped his warm mouth around his fingers to suck whatever of his juices were left on the skin.  He thrusted hard, slowing each time until he was completely spent.

Both boys were panting heavily.  Heat lingered in the bedroom air with so many mixed scents that it was dizzying.  Aaron leaned forward to press his forehead against Kyle’s heaving chest. “Fuck, that was—,” he managed to say between heavy breaths. “Fucking hot.”

Kyle laughed.  His body was exhausted but he still mewled at the sudden loss of Aaron inside him.  He was just getting used to it.  The brunet shifted around the room to dispose of his used condom and clean up Kyle before he walked over to crawl back onto the bed.  Kyle groaned as Aaron pulled him to sit up and then wrapped his arms around the slender waist to pull him back along the bed.  Aaron sat with his back pressed to the pile of pillows against the headboard as Kyle sat against his chest.  They pulled Aaron’s quilt up over them to ward off the cold from their heated bodies and Aaron played with Kyle’s tangled locks.  They were both slowly coming down from their highs as they basked in each other’s close connection.  Kyle pressed harder into the warmth against his back as Aaron gently kissed the top of his head.

“So, can I ask?” Aaron asked and Kyle hummed lazily. “What made you snap?”

Kyle chuckled and turned so he could press his cheek against Aaron’s chest as he listened to his steady heartbeat. “The library,” he answered sleepily. “I wasn’t about to let you get away with pinning me against the bookshelves like that.”

Aaron smiled proudly. “Thought so, but remember, you started it,” he replied.  Kyle hummed as he nuzzled his cheek against the boy’s chest and Aaron tilted his head slightly to see the boy’s eyes closed.  The red head’s breathing was already starting to slow. “Hey, when do you have to go back home?” Aaron asked as he gently tapped Kyle’s cheek.

“Parents are out.  Won’t be back till late.  Lots of time to sleep,” Kyle muttered tiredly.

Aaron exhaled and shifted to let Kyle lay down with his head pressed to a pillow.  Aaron pressed against the red head’s back as he continued to play with the soft locks.  It didn’t take long for Kyle to slip into sleep between the calming strokes of long fingers through his hair and the warmth that radiated through his back.  Not shortly after he was asleep, Aaron was following him.

They didn’t wake until Kyle’s eyes snapped open to the sound of the front door being closed.  He took a moment to figure out where the hell he was or what the hell was going on.  Aaron’s bedroom, that’s where he was.  As to what was happening—He quickly sat up with a sharp gasp and smacked Aaron on the shoulder.

“Aaron, get up!” Kyle snapped in a low voice.  The brunet groaned and tightened his arm around Kyle’s waist.  The red head growled in frustration. “This is not the time,” he snapped as he smacked Aaron’s shoulder again. “Wake up.”

“Aaron, sweetie, I’m home!” Liz called out as she moved towards the kitchen.

Aaron’s eyes opened and he quickly sat up.  Kyle snorted quietly at how much of a mess his hair was. “Shit, the one time she’s actually home on time,” Aaron muttered as he quickly scrambled down the bed to snatch up his underwear and jeans.

“What do we do?” Kyle asked with a slight shake in his voice.

Aaron stood at the end of the bed trying to get his jeans on as quickly as possible. “I’m gonna go out and talk to her.  You get dressed,” he said and quickly crawled across the bed to give Kyle a quick kiss. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

“Wha—Aaron?” Kyle said but the boy was already stumbling out of the room to close the door behind him.

Aaron let out a sharp sigh. “There you are,” Liz said from the archway to the kitchen. “Were you having a nap?”

Aaron turned to face his mother and gave her a wry smile. “Yep,” he answered.

Liz’s face turned down into a look of frustration and worry. “What did you do?” she asked with a stern voice.

Aaron laughed nervously. “What makes you think I did something?” he asked as he stepped away from his bedroom door.

“You have the same smile you and your father make when you’ve done something you shouldn’t have,” Liz explained and crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t try to lie to me because I’ve dealt with that smile for over twenty years.  So, what did you do?  And remember, I know when you’re lying.”

Aaron exhaled heavily and he ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay.  Just promise you won’t be too mad.”

Kyle fumbled in the dark for his clothes.  It was difficult since his eyes hadn’t quite adjusted yet and when Aaron closed the door he cut off the only source of light.  As he moved he focused in on the pain he had in his lower back but it was immediately soothed at the memory of why.  Warm touches and loud shouts of pleasure.  It was perfect.

Liz stared at her son.  He was rubbing his arm as he looked back at his mother with a sheepish expression.  Tension lingered between them.  The woman let her eyes linger away from her son to the unfamiliar kicked off boots that sat next to the door and the green coat that hung on the back of the couch.  She looked back at her son just before the bedroom door opened and Kyle stumbled out.  Aaron snapped his eyes shut with a soft sigh.  Liz shifted her gaze to the red head whose face immediately turned the same shade as his hair.  Kyle tried to force down the lump of nerves in his throat and he watched as Liz sighed…out of relief?

Aaron opened his eyes. “Mom—,” he started to say but the woman quickly lifted her hand to silence him.

“Kyle,” she spoke in a very flat tone that made Kyle’s back straighten.  His mother had used a series of tones before but nothing ever came as close to terrifying as Liz’s did. “It’s late.  You should probably head home before your parents start to worry,” she explained, keeping the tone in her voice and her stoic expression on her face.  Kyle nodded frantically and quickly ran over to his coat before sliding on his boots.  Aaron started to turn but Liz snapped her fingers and pointed at him to stop him.  Kyle quickly reached for the doorknob on the front door when Liz called out, “Kyle,” she said and the red head’s body went ridged. “I have Thursday off.  I will be making dinner and as long as it’s okay with your parents, I want you to come.”

Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed together and he quickly turned his head to see a wide smile form on Liz’s face. “Fuck, mom!  Come on!” Aaron yelled and then groaned loudly in frustration. “That’s not funny.”

“Oh, I think it’s hilarious,” Liz replied and laughed lightly before turning her attention back to Kyle. “But seriously Kyle, I don’t want you getting in trouble so you should head on home.  Do you need a ride?”

Kyle quickly shook his head.  He had no idea what was happening and he couldn’t stop his heart from racing deep in his chest. “No, I live close.  I’ll be fine,” he replied with a small, forced grin.

“Then I’ll see you Thursday,” Liz said and kept her wide, amused smile on her face.

Kyle ducked out of the house, closed the door behind him, and pressed his back to it with a loud sigh. “That was not cool.  I thought you were seriously mad for a minute,” Aaron said as he walked around the couch to sit down.

“Well, I’m going to admit, I am a little mad,” Liz said as she walked over to sit in the recliner and face her son. “I wouldn’t be a very good parent if I wasn’t mad about coming home to find my son had banged his classmate under my nose.”

“Mom, can you not say banged?  Please?  I don’t want to have to go back to see a therapist,” Aaron said as he waved his hand dismissively.

“Is fucked better?” Liz asked.  The look of amusement on her face was sinister.

Aaron leaned forward with a loud groan and wrapped his arms around his knees. “I’m gonna be sick,” he moaned.

Liz laughed and then let out a long sigh. “You were safe?” she asked and Aaron stayed hunched over but he nodded. “It was consensual?”

“Mom, I swear to god—,” Aaron groaned loudly.

“Just answer me, Aaron.  Let me do the parenting thing for a bit,” Liz replied.  Aaron exhaled and nodded. “Now, was it a one-time thing or is this real?”

Aaron tapped his fingers against his legs and turned his head to press his cheek to his knees so he could finally face his mother. “It’s real, mom.  Realer than anything I’ve ever felt,” he said and sat up to put his elbows on his knees. “Look, I know you think this is stupid because we’re just kids and you’re worried that I’m going to get my heart broken and go back to the way I was, which is completely a possibility, but he’s worth it.  He’s worth every ounce of pain he could cause me.  He’s worth every strangled breath and tear.” Liz listened carefully to her son. “I’ve already had my first heartbreak of my life, but I would be alright spending the rest of it with Kyle as the worst one.”

Liz exhaled softly through her nose.  Her lips were turned up into a small smile that was no longer sinister “Okay,” she called out loudly as she stood and walked over to sit next to her son to grab his hand. “You have to promise me you will not screw this up.  Not because I can’t handle what may become of you, but because that boy is so precious that hurting him would be like hurting a baby bunny.”

“God, mom,” Aaron laughed and nodded. “I promise,” he replied.

Liz smiled and rested her head against her son’s shoulder. “So, how was it?”

“Mom!” Aaron yelled in disgust as he pushed his mother away from him.

“What?” Liz laughed and leaned back against the arm of the couch. “Isn’t part of a healthy relationship between parents and child to take an interest in their life?”

Aaron dragged his hands along his face. “Yeah, but not an interest in that,” he groaned.

“Honey, I’m a nurse, I have seen some pretty messed up stuff.  I highly doubt your more than likely vanilla first time will make me cringe,” Liz explained.

“Oh god.  I am actually going to be sick,” Aaron said and stood up to retreat back towards his bedroom.

“Next time, just make sure to text me so I can go see a movie or something,” Liz called out and Aaron groaned before he slammed his door shut.  It wasn’t an unusual conversation between him and his mother.  She was known for being so open that it bordered on psychopathic sometimes, but Aaron knew it was always harmless.

Kyle made it home before his parents and immediately went up to his room.  He could hear Ike’s video game clearly through his door before he turned into his room to close his door and collapse onto his bed.  He didn’t even bother changing, he was too tired.  He’d have a shower in the morning to wash away the remnants of the night that clung to his skin, but he couldn’t wash away the memories.  They were burned into his mind forever.

He grinned like a moron as the warm water ran down his back.  He couldn’t stop thinking about everything.  Aaron was consuming him.  Every thought in his mind consisted of the golden eyed boy.  He hopped down the stairs to join the table where his family members sat with breakfast set out in front of them.

“Good morning!” he said cheerfully to his family as he leaned over to kiss his mother on the cheek.

“My, what a greeting,” Sheila said happily in response. “You’re never this happy in the morning.”

“I wonder why,” Ike muttered into his plate of waffles.

Gerald turned his attention to his young son but didn’t question what he had said as Kyle sat down in his usual seat. “I slept well last night.  And there’s waffles for breakfast, so how couldn’t I be happy?”

Kyle reached out to stab a waffle and Sheila gave her husband a strange look from across the table.  They were both suspicious but wouldn’t question their usual moody teenage son’s sudden happiness.  He had been so different lately and it was apparent to the husband and wife but what teenager didn’t go through their own mood swings?

“Morning!” Kyle said cheerfully to Stan who stood on the sidewalk first.

Stan turned, his eyebrows furrowed together curiously to watch Kyle skip across his lawn. “What is that?” Stan asked as he pulled his headphone out of his ear from under his hood.

Kyle turned to face him when he stopped. “What is what?” he asked and there was a bit of panic in his voice.  He had made sure to check himself in the mirror thoroughly for any marks after his shower.  Aaron hadn’t left anything behind and that actually made Kyle feel a bit disappointed.

Stan lifted his hand to poke his finger against Kyle’s cheek. “That.”

“What?  My smile?” Kyle asked, his panic washing away.  Stan was just being an asshole.

“It’s fucking huge.  You must have had a good night’s sleep,” Stan explained.

“The best I’ve had in a while,” Kyle answered smugly.  It was the truth.  His exhaustion accompanied his lack of stress like two complimenting flavours.  For the first time in a while, Kyle’s mind wasn’t invaded with unhappy memories that crawled out of the deep pits of his mind.  Instead, he was surrounded by a feeling of relief and security.  He was safe for once.

“You are freaking me out, dude,” Stan replied and looked back down at his phone cradled in his hand.

Kyle hummed as they waited for the familiar rumble of Kenny’s truck as it sped around the corner.  The blaring rock music was muffled from inside the cab.  Kenny turned down the music as he screeched to a stop.  It wouldn’t have been surprising if he woke the neighbourhood with his recklessness.  Kyle flung open the door and slid inside first.  Being the smallest automatically made him the best candidate to sit in the middle.

“Watch out, something’s got Kyle in a really good mood today,” Stan warned Kenny as he climbed into the truck.

“What?  Can I not just be in a good mood?” Kyle asked as he looked over at Stan and then turned his attention to Kenny.  The dirty blonde-haired boy’s eyes narrowed slightly as he examined his red head friend but it didn’t take long before he was suddenly staring back with wide, unblinking eyes.  Kyle’s smile slowly faded. _“Holy shit, how the fuck does he know?”_

Kenny spat into loud laughter as he smacked his hand against the steering wheel.  The uproar startled Stan, creating a confused look on his face once again.  Kyle smiled as he slowly shook his head at his friend’s chaotic cackling. “Am I missing something?” Stan asked worriedly.

“I’d say so,” Kenny replied and stepped on the gas to lurch the truck forward.

Aaron was stood waiting behind his car.  He leaned against it with crossed arms over his chest as his fingers tapped anxiously against his bicep.  He pulled his scarf up to cover his neck from the cold that was painfully bitter that morning.  Despite the discomfort he was in, he couldn’t bring himself to wait inside in the warmth.  Then heard the familiar rumbling of an old, struggling engine.  His head perked up as the truck turned into the parking lot and stopped in an empty spot nearby.  His heart was pounding heavily in his chest as he waited.  Kenny and Stan stepped out first and then…him.  Aaron stopped breathing for a moment.  He kept his hands shoved into the pocket of his coat as he waited.  The three boys walked over but Aaron had tunnel vision trained directly on Kyle.  Kenny was grinning wildly and Kyle was trying to conceal his happiness behind the top of his coat.  Stan was staring at his phone, relying on his friends to keep him from running into anything.

“Hey,” Aaron greeted all of them simultaneously.

“Morning,” Kenny sang cheerfully as he continued to walk by.

Aaron’s eyebrows furrowed together in curiosity.  He knew was aware of Kenny’s many different tones and that one had a deep meaning to it that was both mischievous and alarming. “They’re both being weird today,” Stan explained without looking up from his phone.

Aaron nodded as he joined Stan’s side to make their way towards the school.  The crowd of students filling into the school was heavy.  Aaron trailed behind Stan who was conversing with Kenny next to him when the brunet suddenly felt a hand slid into his pocket to wrap around his.  He started to turn his head to see the flash of red before he was being pulled out of the crowd of students.  Kyle pulled Aaron along the side of the school and around the corner to a spot where the walls met and was far out of view from anyone.  Kyle turned to face Aaron and pulled him into a cold kiss.  They were still moving with Kyle leading until his back was pressed into the corner.  Aaron’s arm moved to press against the wall as his other hand snaked behind the shorter boy’s head.  Kyle’s hands held on to fists full of the boy’s scarf.  Their bodies pressed against each other to create heat amongst the cold air.

“I’m sorry about my mom,” Aaron finally said when he broke the kiss.

Kyle let go of Aaron’s scarf to move his hands up to place them against the brunet’s cold cheeks. “I’m just happy she’s not mad,” Kyle explained with genuine relief.

Aaron scoffed. “Well, she’s a goddamn lunatic, but I get what you mean,” he joked with a smile.

Kyle laughed and pulled Aaron back in for another kiss.  Cold lips pressed together as warm tongues moved over to lick and warm up the flesh.  Kyle’s hands left Aaron’s cheeks to travel down.  His fingers hooked into the loops of Aaron’s jeans to pull his lower body closer.  The friction made Aaron groan against the kiss.

“Miss me already?” Aaron teased against Kyle’s lips.

“From the moment I left last night,” Kyle replied and Aaron tilted his head forward with a shaky sigh when Kyle’s small, nimble hand dove into the front of his pants to wrap cold fingers around his cock.

“Kyle,” Aaron said breathily.

“Did you miss me?” Kyle asked in return with a crooked smile.

Aaron leaned heavily on his arm that was pressed against the wall. “Fuck,” he whispered and his fingers threaded in Kyle’s hair to pull his head back.  Kyle inhaled sharply as his neck was forced to bend backwards and lips pressed to his neck. “Of course I missed you,” Aaron said, his breath moving over Kyle’s flesh to make the small hairs stand. “I thought of you all night.”

Kyle arched forward against Aaron as he continued to slowly stroke the now hard appendage in the boy’s pants.  Aaron pulled at the top of Kyle’s coat.  He was wearing a sweater that had a high collar.  Aaron’s lips turned up in a smile.  _Perfect._   He placed his lips on one spot low on the red head’s neck and then bit.  The sharp pain made Kyle yelp and buck his hips instinctively.  Aaron groaned and moved to sucking on the spot for a moment, knowing fully well that he was marking Kyle in a dangerous way that could have them both in trouble.  The bell attached to the school rang menacingly from around the corner.  Kyle’s hand immediately moved from under Aaron’s pants as the brunet moved his head away to make sure the red head’s collar was hiding the reddened skin.

“Come on,” Aaron said as he took a large step back and offered a hand.  His smile was formed back on his face again. “Can’t have you being late, Mr. Broflovski.”

Kyle laughed as he reached out to take the brunet’s hand and they walked back towards the doors into the building. “Kenny knows, by the way,” Kyle suddenly said.

“About?” Aaron asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“Us.  Last night,” Kyle answered.

Aaron’s eyebrow lifted quizzically. “You told him?” he asked.  It wasn’t anger but rather curiosity.

Kyle shook his head. “No, he just knows.  He’s good at that kind of shit.  He’s like a bloodhound when it comes to secrets.”

Aaron chuckled.  They let go once they crossed the threshold into the school and wouldn’t touch again until later.  They made it through all their classes and lunch acting like nothing was different but the act didn’t fool Kenny.  He was always grinning and it made everyone uncomfortable.  There were a few times when one of the others would ask him what was going on and he would answer with some cryptic response that only Kyle and Aaron understood.  Kyle attempted to stop his friend by punching him a few times on the shoulders and arms but it still didn’t stop him.

It was all irrelevant though.  As terrifying as it was to think about everyone figuring it out, it didn’t come close to the feeling that swelled in Kyle’s chest every time he caught the gaze of golden eyes.  Every time he saw Aaron smile or heard him laugh made his heart flutter.  When Aaron reached up to grab something for one of the other classmates, his shirt rode up to reveal his lower back.  The sight was like candy to Kyle who chewed on the end of his pen.  Nothing could ruin the high that he was riding on.  Or, at least, that’s what he thought.

After gym, Kyle stood at his open locker as he tried to stretch out the kink that had formed in his shoulder from their game of dodgeball.  The collision with one of the other students was a complete accident but everyone saw his shoulder connect hard with the concrete floor and couldn’t help but worry.  He shook off their worry but didn’t hate when Aaron strategically passed by him as he dragged a hand along the red head’s lower back before jogging back to his team.  It was a gesture that went unnoticed by everyone, but Kyle knew it was the brunet’s way of telling him that he was there.

Stan and Aaron were in the showers washing away the remains of the class as Kenny stood on the other side of the wall of lockers trying to convince Butters to hang out with him.  Kyle could hear the soft, urging words from Kenny as Butters hummed and hawed nervously.  It was obvious to a lot of people that Butters had a crush on Kenny, but his heart was conflicted.  It was strange because a lot of people rooted for them, Kyle was definitely one of them.  He noticed how good they were for each other.  Kenny brought out bravery in Butters, and Butters always seemed to spark a kindness in Kenny that was sometimes hard to see underneath his tough outer shell.

Kyle changed into his jeans and t-shirt before he shrugged on his sweater.  The small tune he hummed was cut short when a hand slammed loudly against the locker next to him.  His eyes quickly shot over to look at the thick, sausage fingers.  His chest tightened on instinct.

“I’m gettin’ impatient, Kahl,” Cartman drawled.

“Go away, Cartman,” Kyle growled in response.  His voice was surprisingly level though his body quaked with fear.

Cartman shifted and grabbed Kyle’s arm to spin him around.  Cartman had a lot of size on Kyle and he hated that.  He was powerless physically to fight back, not matter how hard he tried.  The red head smacked the fat hand away but it only elicited a devilish spark within the larger boy.  Cartman laughed. “Ya got some spunk in ya, Kahl.  Some poor sap put some spring in ya step?” he asked and batted Kyle’s sweater aside to poke at the mark on his neck Aaron had made that morning.  It was already bruised and tender, making Kyle flinch at the contact.

“It’s none of your business, Fatass,” Kyle hissed venomously.  He didn’t want Aaron to pulled into the middle of it.  He knew he should have taken better care to hide the mark.  The last thing he wanted was for Cartman to suddenly lash out at Aaron.

“How much did’e pay ya fer that tight lil’ ass?” Cartman asked as he leaned in.

Kyle snarled.  His hands were clenched into fists at his sides. “Fuck off, Cartman,” he growled warningly between clenched teeth.

“I’ll pay double whatever he paid ya,” Cartman teased with a crooked smile.

Kyle knew that Cartman was just trying to work him up.  He knew the fatass was doing whatever he could to get a reaction.  He wanted to just walk away, but he couldn’t.  He was pulling at strings that were too loose to start. “Fuck you, Cartman,” Kyle snapped.

Cartman grabbed his wrist tightly.  The grip was bruising and made Kyle flinch. “Well, if ya insist, Kahl,” he growled and a hand touched Kyle’s thigh.

Kyle snapped.  The bad thoughts and memories he thought had disappeared came rushing back to him in a heavy wave like a tsunami.  He used all his force to shove Cartman back by his shoulders and a heavy fist connected with the brunet’s face.  A loud snap echoed through the room and Cartman collapsed backwards on the floor. “You are never gonna touch me again!” Kyle screamed.

His voice pierced the air like a knife, ending whatever conversations had been going on up until that point.  It wasn’t what Kyle had intended to do, but his body reacted for more quickly than his mind had a chance to catch up.

“Holy fuck dude,” a voice whispered from across the locker room.

Most of the students were gone but there were still a few bystanders who were alerted by the sudden shouting. “You used me,” Kyle started with no regard to the prying ears around him.  He wasn’t going to let Cartman win anymore. “You used my insecurities and vulnerabilities against me, but you won’t ever get the chance to do that again,” he growled as Cartman held onto his bleeding nose, glaring up at the red head. “You don’t win.  You don’t get to decide my happiness you piece of shit!” Kyle screamed.  His body was shaking uncontrollably.  He was panting heavily but his breath was ripped from him when long arms wrapped around him from behind.  The scent of shampoo and familiar cologne instantly calmed Kyle’s entire body.

“Shh, it’s alright,” Aaron whispered as he moved around Kyle so he was between the red head and Cartman.  Aaron leaned down to meet Kyle’s glazed eyes and put his hands on the boy’s cheeks. “You can stop.  You did so well.”

“A—Aaron—,” Kyle whispered with a shaky voice.  His senses were coming back to him and it was terrifying.  What had he done?

“Fucking fags,” Cartman growled.  Aaron’s eyebrows furrowed in anger and he turned to face the shorter, fatter brunet who was finally picking himself up off the floor. “Ya the one who butt fucked Kahl?  How much ya pay fer that?”

“Good lord, just shut up the hell up, Cartman,” Aaron said with a small shake of his head.  He lifted his hand to run his fingers through his hair as Cartman stared at him with confusion. “Haven’t you had enough?  Haven’t you realized by now that what you’re doing will get you nothing?”

“Whaddya know, fag?” Cartman snapped angrily. “I always get what I want!” Cartman shouted with a loud bellow. “Yer the one who fucked ‘im.  He’s dirty.”

Kyle flinched like he had been hit in the stomach.  His arms wrapped around himself.  Aaron stomped forward, clearing the space between he and Cartman to tower over the shorter brunet.  Kyle had moved to take a step but Kenny quickly grabbed him by the shoulder as Stan’s arm stretched out in front of him.  Both of them were watching Aaron closely, ready to step in when needed, but yet they were both surprisingly relaxed.

“You are the one who’s dirty, Cartman.  Your soul is painted black.  Stained by your ugliness.  And because of that, you will never be loved,” Aaron explained, his voice low but steady.  There was no anger.  There was no desperation.  It was more terrifying than if he had shouted.  It made Kyle’s spine tingle. “You’re a disturbed human being and no one will ever see past your darkness to be with you.  They’ll turn you away.  They’ll call you names.  They’ll treat you exactly how you’ve treated others your entire life,” Aaron said and a small smile formed on his face.  It visibly threw Cartman off. “Do you want to know what will happen to Kyle?  He’s going to forget about you.  He’s gonna move on from you because he has family who loves him, friends who care for him, and me.” Kyle’s face warmed up with a light blush. “He’s loved, Cartman.  You can spew venom and have as many temper tantrums as you want, but you can’t touch him anymore.  You won’t even get close to him or else I’ll tear you apart.  So, enjoy your misery and loneliness, because I sure as hell will enjoy watching you wallow in it,” he finished with a heavy growl that was uncharacteristic to the tone in the rest of his speech.

Cartman looked panicked.  He couldn’t wrap his mind around a response fast enough before Aaron quickly spun around and stormed over to grab Kyle’s hand.  The red head was in shock.  His eyes were wide and unblinking as he watched Aaron.  He let himself be pulled out of the locker room, leaving the bystanders to their own gossiping whispers as Stan and Kenny stared down Cartman.  They dared him to try anything but he wouldn’t.  Kyle quickly followed Aaron, trying to keep up with the longer strides the other had.  The taller boy’s shoulders were tense and he wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t slow down until they reached Kyle’s locker.

“Get your stuff,” Aaron growled as he let go of Kyle’s hand to keep his back facing the red head.  His calm demeanor had disappeared to be replaced by unforgiving rage.  Kyle heard it and it made him worried that the brunet wouldn’t turn to look at him.

“Aaron, look at me,” Kyle said as he grabbed Aaron’s arm.

“Just get your stuff, Kyle,” Aaron snapped while simultaneously forcing his arm from Kyle’s grip. “Kenny will take you home,” he calmed his tone just a bit to say.

“Wait, what?” Kyle asked and tried again to grab Aaron’s arm. “You’re not making any sense.  Just look at me.”

Aaron finally turned and looked down at Kyle.  His left eye held a tear he had been trying to keep hidden.  Kyle froze. “I’m going to tell the principal what happened before Cartman can.  I’ll tell her it was me who punched him and take the punishment.  Kenny will take you home.”

Sacrificing himself like a noble hero, how stupid.  Kyle’s face twisted with frustration. “No, I—,” he started to protest but Aaron wouldn’t let him finish.

“Kyle, I’m not going to let you get in trouble for this.  He got away with what he did to you,” he snapped angrily as he pointed back down the hall towards the locker room. “I’m not going to let him get away with this too.”

 _“What an idiot,”_ Kyle thought angrily to himself. “Jesus fuck, come on,” he snapped as he grabbed Aaron’s hand to pull him around the corner and down the small hallway to a dead end of three doors.  Each of them was a lab that were rarely ever used and were always empty at the end of the day.  All of them were dark.  Kyle opened one to push Aaron inside and checked to make sure no one saw them before quickly following.  He quietly shut the door and kept the lights off to ward off any curious students possibly passing by.  He turned to face Aaron who was standing in the middle of the room with his fingers pushed into his hair.  It was a dangerous mannerism with many reasons behind it but in that moment Aaron was spiraling. “Aaron, stop,” Kyle said as he quickly rushed over to grab Aaron’s arms but the brunet backed away from him.

“He deserves everything bad done to him, Kyle,” Aaron snapped and startled Kyle. “I want to hurt him.  I want him to feel scared, to feel hopeless.  I want everything that you’ve felt to course through him and haunt his dreams.  I want him to hurt.”

Kyle frowned.  This was unlike Aaron, but he couldn’t stop the anger that broken through the floodgates. “What good will that do?” Kyle asked sternly, his eyebrows knitted together as he shook his head. “It wouldn’t do any good except create more pain.”

“It would do something!” Aaron shouted. “It would bring some justice for what he did.  It would make him understand.  It would make you happy.”

“You make me happy!” It was Kyle’s turn to shout.  It caught Aaron off guard and made him stop instantly. “Hurting him isn’t revenge, it’s stupid.  Revenge is finding happiness in everything that isn’t him.  Forgetting him, like you said.  Moving on.  It’s all the things you made me realize in the last few months.  I just need you.”

The space between them disappeared as Kyle moved.  Aaron couldn’t back away before the red head grabbed his hands to lift them to cup the soft, freckled covered cheeks. “I’m not hiding from the pain anymore because I don’t have to.  You’re making it disappear.  So please, stop this.  Stop thinking about him.” Aaron exhaled softly.  All of the anger and tension washed away as he gently pressed his forehead against Kyle’s. “Now, whatever Cartman does, I’ll take my punishment, not you.  It was my mistake and I will suffer the consequences for it.  But for now, I want you to take me home.”

Aaron nodded slowly and opened his eyes to see the smile stretched across Kyle’s face.  It was genuine and carefree.  Everything Aaron needed to know that it was alright.  Kyle led the way out of the room to grab their things from their lockers and leave, hand holding hand.  There was no need to hide anymore.  No doubt the scene in the locker room was already known by half the school, the gossip chain was impressive and terrifying.

Aaron stopped his car next to the curb in front of Kyle’s house.  He stood on the sidewalk looking up at the two-story home, unsure of what exactly Kyle’s brewing plan was, but he was there every step of the way.  He was startled when the small hand wrapped around his, splitting him from his thoughts to be led forward to the front door.  Kyle pushed inside and barely had the door shut behind them when he heard his mother yell from the kitchen.

“Kyle Broflovski, if that is you young man you are in big trouble!” she shouted angrily.  Aaron tried to move away but Kyle held on tightly.  The worried expression that the brunet gave the red head was quickly dissolved when he saw the look of calm formed on Kyle’s face. “I just got off the phone with Mrs. Cartman who says you—,” she stopped when she reached the doorway between the living room and the kitchen to see Kyle and Aaron standing side by side with their fingers laced together between them.

“Ma, I have to tell you…everything.  It’s going to hurt you, but I need to tell you and I need you to listen and not say anything until I’m done,” Kyle explained with a serious tone that made Sheila closer her mouth and just nod.

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out on tumblr, lovelies!
> 
> themightypookums.tumblr.com


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